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Pumpout Sites For Boaters Available From DRBC

    For Immediate Release

    June 29, 1999

    (WEST TRENTON, N.J.) - The Delaware River Basin Commission has created maps that depict the locations of sewage pumpout stations for boaters navigating the tidal reach of the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay.

    The sites of four pumpout facilities in Delaware, three in Pennsylvania, and eight in New Jersey are pinpointed on the maps, which also provide telephone numbers for the marinas or boat yards where the facilities are located. Boaters are urged to call ahead for hours of operation.

    The maps are featured on the Commission’s web site at http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/library/documents/pump.pdf, or can be ordered by phone or mail by calling 609-883-9500 ext. 240, or writing to Delaware River Basin Commission, P.O. Box 7360, West Trenton, N.J. 08628. There is no charge.

    In an effort to address the pollution problems caused by the discharge of raw sewage from vessels, Congress in 1992 passed the Clean Vessel Act. The act established a five-year federal grant program to be administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, authorizing $40 million for use by the states for pumpout projects.

    Raw sewage discharged from marine toilets, or heads, can spread disease, contaminate shellfish beds, and deplete dissolved oxygen levels, causing stress to fish and other aquatic life. Bacteria from raw sewage ingested by shellfish can convey waterborne pathogens such as hepatitis and typhoid.

    Boaters seeking to locate pumpout facilities on waterways outside the Delaware River Basin may call 1-800-ASK-FISH, a toll free number established by the Sportfishing Promotion Council.

    The Delaware River Basin Commission is an interstate/federal agency that manages the water resources within the 13,539 square-mile watershed, which drains portions of New York State, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

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