GL: Discharge

[LRZeitlin@aol.com]

I would like to remind everone that the entire Hudson River, from the Battery 
to Albany, is a no-discharge zone. Grey water, OK. Black water, treated or 
untreated, NO. At last count there were 130 pumpout stations along the river, 
most concentrated in the lower 50 miles. How many of these are functional is 
anyone's guess.

The establishment of the NDZ seems to have been a political ploy to shore up 
the former Gov. Pataki's environmental credentials. The Hudson is no longer 
used as a source of drinking water nor is commercial fishing permitted. It is 
brackish up to Poughkeepsie. Many riverside communities have overflow untreated 
sewage lines running to the river. These and dredging for PCBs in the upper 
river will contaminate the water far beyond the maximum discharge capabilities 
of recreational boats. My old LectraSan used to pump less toxic water back into 
the river than was taken out.

Still, pump out your holding tanks whenever you have a chance. If you take 
the Lake Champlain route on the Great Loop, you must physically remove any 
connection between the holding tank or toilet and the discharge port. A sealed 
valve or a locked head doesn't suffice. Police can inspect on a whim and the fines 
will take a good bite out of your cruising budget.

Larry Z


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