Glen-L.com

I saw this article in the Feb issue of BOATU.S. magazine & thought I'd share it here.

The basic run-down is that the state of Washington has put a ban on copper-based bottom paint (effective 1-1-2020), due to environmental concerns regarding copper. The law applies to boats under 65' in length. A table in the article names EPaint's "Ecominder" and "EP-21" as being more commonly-available biocide-free paints.

I guess the big question is whether or not this will foreshadow a growing trend.

Anyway, I just wanted to post it here to see what some of your views may be. Has anyone tried "Ecominder" or "EP-21" paint?

I'm early-on in my first boat build, and to be honest I know nothing whatsoever about marine paint... let alone its environmental impact, so I don't know if the copper ban is OSHA-style overkill, or if it's a true concern.

Here's the link: http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2012/february/copper.asp

_________________
-Michael

my boatbuilding blog:
http://barnaclemikeboats.blogspot.com/

I think the concern is the copper will react with the impending oil spills and cause an environmental hazard that we can blame on sailors!
Doug

Washington stopped us from using any Bottom Paint with Cuperic in it, way back in the 50's.
They must have let up eh?

The Coasties etc could use it, but us small boaters couldn't.
We were not allowed to scrape or Steam clean off our boats where the drainage would take the detritus down to the water.

I don't think anybody was ever able to measure any damage from Bottom paint in the whole PacNW.
The U.W. had a lot of people studying to be Biologists and were always conducting some kind of research on Lake Washington, Lake Union, the Ship Canal and Puget Sound.

We thought maybe it was the Salmon or Steelhead counts, but that's a problem all up n' down the coast from CA to AK.