The Town of Cobourg Community Services Division is proud to announce that the Cobourg Marina has achieved the Diamond Elite Rating in the 2022 Clean Marine Program.
The Clean Marine Eco-Rating Program was developed in Ontario as an environmental initiative that encourages marine facilities to follow best environmental practices to reduce and prevent water, air and land pollutions associated with on water activities. Since the program’s creation in 1995, over 300 businesses have participated, making the program the most successful and widely adopted. It is the world’s leading environmental “Best Management Practices” program for marinas, boat dealers, yacht clubs and marine businesses.
The Town of Cobourg has been participating in the Clean Marine Initiative since 2017. In their initial year, Waterfront Operations staff introduced processes to improve upon recycling and
waste reduction, fueling practices and improved documentation of environmentally friendly policies and procedures. The success of those initial procedures resulted in a Five Green
Anchor ranking. Making Cobourg the second only marina in the programs history to receive such a high rating after their first audit.
Staff completed the Clean Marine Self-Assessment in the winter of 2022, qualifying Cobourg for an audit during the boating season by a Boating Ontario representative. With a score of
96.01%, the Cobourg Marina achieved the Diamond Elite Rating, the highest possible rating the program offers. Among the new initiatives this year was the installation of a Seabin, an
updated water testing program, modernized fueling and pump-out practices and corresponding training, a high efficiency furnace was added to the marina facility and new spill containment system was added to the fuel dock. The Waterfront Operations staff are pleased to share this achievement with the community and will proudly display the Clean Marine Plaque in the Marina reception area.
“As a boater, the Clean Marine rating is assurance that a marina has adopted the highest environmental standards for marinas in the world,” says Brian Geerts, Director of Community Services. “The initiative is well in line with the Town of Cobourg’s Strategic Plan objective to be good stewards and practice sustainable actions and staff take great pride in our abilities to meet and exceed the criteria set out in the program.”
Audit and Practices
Clean Marine Program members must pass a comprehensive environmental audit to ensure compliance with the program standards set out in the Clean Marine Operations Handbook.
This handbook, developed through the cooperation of Boating Ontario, Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment sets out more than 200 environmental practices
that cover all aspects of marine operations from fueling to waste oil, shrink-wrap, recycling, refuse collection, energy conservation and environmental protection. Re-assessments are mandatory every four years with self-assessments conducted annually.
Ranking System
Marinas voluntarily join the program to participate in a 220-point assessment. Scores from the assessment are converted into a new Eco-Rating system ranking from Bronze (60% – 69%),
Silver (70% – 79%), Gold (80% – 89%, Diamond (90% – 95%) and Diamond Elite (96% -100%) as the highest achievement, usually given after several years of dedication and altering practices.
To learn more about the Clean Marine Initiative, visit the Boating Ontario website.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
