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copper reduction and TMDL is difficult. Meanwhile, yacht clubs can mandate copper quo- tas, but marinas do not have that same luxury. John Adriany, a scientist
at Chemetrics, said the brunt of the responsibility for copper reduction and TMDL compliance has fall- en on marina and yacht club
Millions of dollars have already been spent on study- ing copper levels at Shelter Island, which occupies just 2 percent of San Diego Bay. Shelter Island is on pace to meet the next copper reduction mandate in 2017. However, plenty of work needs to be done for Shelter Island to meet its final mandate: 76 percent copper reduction by 2022.
be satisfied with the conversion, Holman said. She added some boaters said they experienced faster speeds, because the alternative paint or coat- ing resulted in smoother and slicker hull surfaces. She added the Port of San Diego is
still working on developing baywide projects, such as enacting a permitting process for in-bay hull cleaning and requiring best management practices. How successful Shelter Island is in meeting its copper reduction goals by 2022 will ultimately depend on its management strategies, implementa- tion of best management practices and the types of alternative paints or coat- ings boaters elect to use. Still, Holman believes AB 425 will
make reformulated copper paints more accessible to boaters and help officials develop policies to better reg- ulate polluted waters. “We believe there is benefit in a
larger economy,” Holman said about the state’s copper reduction mandates. San Diego Port Tenants Association
(SDPTA), which is located on Shelter Island, has been working with regula- tory agencies, yacht clubs, marina managers and boaters to make the copper-reduction process as smooth and managed as possible. “Our relationship with the port has been a partnership. We’re in this together,” Sharon Cloward, president of SDPTA, said. “We’re going to need boater support.” Cloward said SDPTA has benefited
the process by building a coalition and educating boaters as much as possible, but there is still some confusion among boaters. There has been a lot of pressure on paint manufacturers, she said. Some applications have not worked well. Boatyards are willing to sell what works, but it is not illegal to sell copper paints. Compounding the problem: Shelter
Island is home to a lot of boaters from Arizona who visit seasonally. Accordingly, educating them about
managers. “The TMDL doesn’t act directly on individual boaters. They are responsi- ble parties, but ports have been asked to collect information,” Adriany said. “Marina and yacht club managers bear the responsibility of how to get to the end point. They are doing an awful amount of work [and maintaining rela- tionships.]” Both Cloward and Adriany believe the 40 percent mandate will be ahead of schedule. However, they feel achiev- ing 76 percent reduction by 2022 is a real challenge. “We’ve been asked to do a job and
that’s to reduce copper progressively. We don’t know if the efforts that have been prescribed will lead to the num- bers that have been set,” Adriany said, adding copper is everywhere in San Diego Bay, and the geographic design of the harbor offers little assistance, in terms of water exchange or tides. A lot of money has been spent on testing, as well. According to Cloward, the big question in researching copper in San Diego Bay is whether toxicity exists. Is copper really a problem? “It’s like a big lab,” Cloward said.
“We’ve learned a lot through the test- ing.” Shelter Island might be a big lab,
but Adriany pointed out the marina occupies only 2 percent of San Diego Bay. Yet, Shelter Island is the only place with an active TMDL program imple- mented and enforced. Still, Adriany and Cloward are hopeful about what the future holds. Adriany said while reducing copper levels 76 percent by 2022 will be tough, Shelter Island is making positive progress in meeting its benchmark for 2017. Specifically, he said Shelter Island achieved 27 percent copper reduction through 2013 and is on pace to reach the 40 percent benchmark ahead of the state’s 2017 target. He also finds promise in AB 425, which, through a combination of sci- ence and legislation, could give policy- makers and regulators the tools they need to ultimately find the right solu- tions. Echoing Holman’s sentiments,
Cloward said SDPTA has worked with all the marinas in San Diego Bay to implement best management prac- tices. Although the other marinas in the bay do not yet have TMDL man- dates imposed on them, Cloward said they have been proactive in addressing copper pollution. She added SDPTA is going to try to make regulations as rea- sonable as possible. “It requires absolutely everyone to be involved in this thing,” Adriany said.
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The Log • Feb. 27 - Mar. 12, 2015 • 13
Shelter Island and Port of San Diego photos
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