DNR Certifies Hartge Yacht Harbor As State’s 116th Clean Marina

GALESVILLE, MD (January 12, 2010) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Clean Marina Program certified Hartge Yacht Harbor as the state’s 116th Clean Marina. Maryland now boasts 141 certified facilities.

Hartge Yacht Harbor is a new business started in April on the site formerly occupied by the Hartge Yacht Yard. It has two marine railways dating back to the early 1900s, a haul out slip, a 50-ton travel lift, a state of the art paint building, 270 slips, and a sewage pump-out. Marina staff and on-site contractors offer a wide variety of boat and engine repairs.

“I was happy to hear from the new management when they took over operations,” said DNR’s Clean Marina Program Coordinator Donna Morrow. “Their commitment to comply with all the regulations and then taking extra strides to protect the environment—all while starting a new business—is to be commended. They demonstrated a can do attitude throughout the process and are now a great example of practical solutions to environmental challenges.”

To qualify for the Clean Marina award, office assistant Judy Hollerbach and staff throughout the yard made a number of improvements. The staff was trained on all aspects of waste management and pollution prevention and legally required safety and stormwater plans were completed.

The dockmaster, Buddy Raley, ensured that all waste collected for recycling is handled properly. The yard recycles used oil, oil filters, batteries, and antifreeze. Waste gasoline, solvents or old paints are handled by a licensed waste hauler for proper disposal as well.

“I learned so much by going through the Clean Marina process,” said Hollerbach. “As a new business we had to start from scratch on all the paperwork, but the guidance we got from Clean Marina staff really helped make sense of it all. The guys in the yard never failed to come through with great solutions to the challenges that we came across and we are very proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Marina manager Nancy Bray believes that protecting our environment is paramount to being a successful marine business. “We all should share in this responsibility” said Bray. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 467,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov