Green Marine
October 4, 2022 | News
As Green Marine celebrates 15 years, what better time to recognize this program for its great work helping our North American maritime community monitor and improve their impact on the environment? Green Marine is a voluntary certification that focuses on moving beyond just regulations to target prioritized environmental issues related to air, water, and soil quality, biodiversity, and community relations. Green Marine helps to guide the maritime industry to improved environmental performance through tangible, measurable actions that go beyond regulatory requirements.
The Port of Anacortes’ marine terminal has participated in GM since 2019. Participants perform a self-audit using the program’s comprehensive guides. Audits focus on key indicators, such as aquatic invasive species, community impacts, greenhouse gases and air pollution, waste management, spill prevention and stormwater management. Once the self-audit is complete, it is verified by an accredited outside source and published.
Green Marine has been an important guide for the Port as we plan for continuous environmental improvements across our marine terminals. Through incremental steps we ensure that future improvements and investments are made with environmental protection in mind.
The Port completed our second audit in 2022, and outcomes reflected improvements in two areas: greenhouse gases and stormwater. In the previous year, the Port implemented no-idle zones across our operations and promoted commuting alternatives by installing bike racks. The Port also conducted major updates to its spill response plans and invested in additional spill response supplies. Looking forward, the Port will conduct a greenhouse gas inventory and continue to invest in spill preparedness with hands-on drills.
The Port of Anacortes takes our role in environmental stewardship very seriously. Green Marine certification is just one way that we make sure we have the best data and resources available to support a healthy environment at and around the Port. In tandem with our cleanup sites, Clean Marina certification, ambient monitoring and much more, we strive to do our part to operate sustainably for our environment, our community and our future.
