NEWPORT BEACH – Boaters in Newport Harbor hesitant to make the switch from copper-based antifouling paints to alternative bottom coatings may be more willing to give them a try, as incentives ranging from cash to free services are planned to be offered through the Newport Bay Copper Reduction Program.

Photo by: yachtphotography.com Candidates for New Paint? — The Newport Bay Copper Reduction Program aims to educate boaters about copper-free antifouling paints and offers incentives to switch to new environmentally friendly coatings.

Harbor commissioners received a presentation from Ray Heimstra of Orange County Coastkeeper July 8. Under­standing that toxins are a concern in the harbor, commissioners raised questions on what percentage of these materials were in fact generated by boats, citing various other pollutant sources that also should be taken into account.

“The last time I checked, there were more cars than boats in Newport Beach, and they are driving around with brake dust — which can be another source of copper into the storm drains,” explained Harbor Commissioner Don Lawrenz. “Copper can also be coming in from airplanes and car emissions.”

Coastkeeper’s estimation that 60,000 pounds of copper are being released in Newport Bay per year was also a concern. “It’s hard for me to swallow that,” remarked Harbor Commissioner Marshall Duffield. “It doesn’t seem like a logical number.”

Heimstra stated that a current Storm Drain Study, which will be available in September, will reveal whether storm drains are making a major impact on the amount of copper in the bay.

The four-year Copper Reduction Program is part of a larger process that included a two-year study in which water and sediment samples were collected from eight marinas and adjacent channel sites in Newport Bay to determine if the presence of boats elevated copper levels in the harbor. The program also includes a stormwater study that will conclude in September.

The Newport Bay Copper Reduction Program’s various components include boater education, financial incentives for boaters who switch to copper-free paints, a water monitoring program, resources and support (in collaboration with local boatyards) and public policy in the form of a non-binding resolution by the city to eliminate the use of toxic bottom paints in the bay — along with the implementation of specific city policies to motivate boaters to make the switch.

The voluntary program — a collaborative effort of Orange County Coastkeeper, the city of Newport Beach and Trace Marine — will provide workshops scheduled throughout the harbor to inform boaters about alternative paint options. “We really want people to be comfortable and move along with things that work,” Heimstra explained.

A key area of focus for the program will be in Balboa Yacht Basin, where boaters will be offered financial and service incentives to make the switch to copper-free boat paints. The goal is to switch more than half of the 160 boats in the basin to alternative paints.

Other Southern California harbors have taken their own approaches to reducing copper-based boat paint. The Port of San Diego implemented an Alternative Hull Paint Project to study alternatives to copper-based paints.

San Diego’s two-year project consists of two testing phases. The first, recently completed, was a test of various copper-free paints applied to panels. The second is a test of paints applied to boat hulls in the water of San Diego Bay. The effectiveness of each coating will be evaluated based on application efficiency, cleaning and maintenance needs, antifouling efficiency, cost and longevity. The project aims to reduce copper levels in San Diego Bay, as boaters replace existing copper-based hull paints with alternative copper-free products.

For more information on the Newport Bay Copper Reduction Program, visit www.coastkeeper.org.