firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
Has anyone seen these articles yet? My wife forwarded these to me today...
http://www.post-trib.com/news/2789840,new-orangeboat1010.article
PORTAGE -- State, local and industry officials are investigating millions of tiny orange-brown stains that have damaged 200 boats, dock boxes and the Portage Public Marina building.
Boaters at Portage Marina and the Marquette Yacht Club first noticed the stains when they cleaned their white boats. The stains resemble rust with a particle etched in the middle.
Brian Gurgon checks the exterior of his boat last week at the Portage Marina. Gurgon believes the spots on his boat are iron oxide released from nearby US Steel.
(Andy LaValley/Post-Tribune)
"Late May, I started noticing yellow spots on my boat that could not be removed through buffing nor power washing, and lately they have gotten worse," said Brian Gurgon, a boat owner from Valparaiso who keeps his boat at Portage Marina. "On the flat surfaces is where you see it. It's on the boats. It's on the dock boxes. These little burned orange stains are everywhere, some as big of a quarter inch. Some, there's a pit in the middle of it."
Hobart boater Raymond Pacheco also noticed the stains.
"It's all over. It looks like droplets of red sludge," he said. "It impregnated the fire glass. You can take your nail and scratch on it."
Boaters reported the problem to Portage Police.
Harbor master for the marina, Allen Ekdahl, said he has received between 35 and 50 complaints about the issue since Sept. 20.
"Everything that's here has been covered with it. It went from north to south in a very narrow line," Ekdahl said. "We seem to have gotten the brunt of it -- 200 boats, so that's about 100-some dock boxes. The light tower, same thing. Everything's got it on it. You can't see it on the buildings because the buildings are yellow stone. On the downspouts, you can see it there."
Ekdahl and a boat owner tried various boat cleaners. None worked, except for a buffer, which also removes the finish on the boat, Ekdahl said. He called the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
"They've been here. They were here again Friday," Ekdahl said. "They've been here a total of six times. We pretty much got the area that's been impacted identified. They've collected some samples for testing."
IDEM spokesman Rob Elstro confirmed that IDEM is investigating.
"IDEM was notified about a substance on boats at the Portage Marina. We visited the marina several times and collected samples," Elstro said in an e-mail. "IDEM is still investigating the complaint."
Gurgon sleeps on his boat and said he's concerned about possible health effects from breathing the particles.
"I sleep with my hatch open. Every night, I sleep here to conserve energy because of the economy," Gurgon said. "Once you look close, it's there, it's everywhere. If my lungs look like that, that's a problem."
Gurgon suspects the particles came from nearby industry Amrox, which "refreshens" and recycles pickle liquor, which is used to cleanse steel.
On Aug. 23, Amrox had a mishap when a concentrated iron liquor feed line to Amrox developed a pinhole.
Wind carrying hydrochloric acid and iron oxide from the spill landed on 13 cars parked adjacent to Amrox and 100 cars parked outside the plant gate. Employees whose cars were damaged received vouchers for a car wash in Valparaiso.
Malvin Sander, vice president of Amrox, said company officials were informed about the stains on boats on Sept. 20, and the stains don't have anything to do with the Aug. 23 incident.
Sander said he doesn't believe the stains on the boats stem from his company or that there's any reason to have health concerns.
"The characteristics of the stain do not appear similar to the products of our operation. Our operation experienced no iron oxide emissions on or before Sept. 20 that could have produced the waxy brown stain. Notwithstanding, we have responded to several inquiries by several boat owners by examining the affected boats," he said. "I can assure you there's nothing in what we do that would adversely affect the health of people. That's a given."
Representatives from U.S. Steel Midwest also inspected the vehicles. The plant is located less than a quarter of a mile from the marina. A U.S. Steel spokesman did not return a call for comment.
For boaters and investigators, the focus now is on solving the mystery of what caused the stains.
"My big concern is to figure out what it is so we can figure out how to treat it," Ekdahl of the marina said.
http://www.wthr.com/story/13301306/indiana-agency-investigates-stains-at-portage-marina
Portage - Tiny orange-brown stains dotting more than 200 boats, dock boxes and a building at the Portage Public Marina have attracted the attention of Indiana environmental officials.
Spokesman Rob Elstro of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management says the agency has sent staff to the marina several times and has collected samples. The source of the stain remains under investigation.
Marina harbor master Allen Ekdahl tells the Post-Tribune of Merrillville that he has received between 35 and 50 complaints about the stains since Sept. 20. The stains resemble rust with a particle etched in the middle.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/2789840,new-orangeboat1010.article
PORTAGE -- State, local and industry officials are investigating millions of tiny orange-brown stains that have damaged 200 boats, dock boxes and the Portage Public Marina building.
Boaters at Portage Marina and the Marquette Yacht Club first noticed the stains when they cleaned their white boats. The stains resemble rust with a particle etched in the middle.
Brian Gurgon checks the exterior of his boat last week at the Portage Marina. Gurgon believes the spots on his boat are iron oxide released from nearby US Steel.
(Andy LaValley/Post-Tribune)
"Late May, I started noticing yellow spots on my boat that could not be removed through buffing nor power washing, and lately they have gotten worse," said Brian Gurgon, a boat owner from Valparaiso who keeps his boat at Portage Marina. "On the flat surfaces is where you see it. It's on the boats. It's on the dock boxes. These little burned orange stains are everywhere, some as big of a quarter inch. Some, there's a pit in the middle of it."
Hobart boater Raymond Pacheco also noticed the stains.
"It's all over. It looks like droplets of red sludge," he said. "It impregnated the fire glass. You can take your nail and scratch on it."
Boaters reported the problem to Portage Police.
Harbor master for the marina, Allen Ekdahl, said he has received between 35 and 50 complaints about the issue since Sept. 20.
"Everything that's here has been covered with it. It went from north to south in a very narrow line," Ekdahl said. "We seem to have gotten the brunt of it -- 200 boats, so that's about 100-some dock boxes. The light tower, same thing. Everything's got it on it. You can't see it on the buildings because the buildings are yellow stone. On the downspouts, you can see it there."
Ekdahl and a boat owner tried various boat cleaners. None worked, except for a buffer, which also removes the finish on the boat, Ekdahl said. He called the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
"They've been here. They were here again Friday," Ekdahl said. "They've been here a total of six times. We pretty much got the area that's been impacted identified. They've collected some samples for testing."
IDEM spokesman Rob Elstro confirmed that IDEM is investigating.
"IDEM was notified about a substance on boats at the Portage Marina. We visited the marina several times and collected samples," Elstro said in an e-mail. "IDEM is still investigating the complaint."
Gurgon sleeps on his boat and said he's concerned about possible health effects from breathing the particles.
"I sleep with my hatch open. Every night, I sleep here to conserve energy because of the economy," Gurgon said. "Once you look close, it's there, it's everywhere. If my lungs look like that, that's a problem."
Gurgon suspects the particles came from nearby industry Amrox, which "refreshens" and recycles pickle liquor, which is used to cleanse steel.
On Aug. 23, Amrox had a mishap when a concentrated iron liquor feed line to Amrox developed a pinhole.
Wind carrying hydrochloric acid and iron oxide from the spill landed on 13 cars parked adjacent to Amrox and 100 cars parked outside the plant gate. Employees whose cars were damaged received vouchers for a car wash in Valparaiso.
Malvin Sander, vice president of Amrox, said company officials were informed about the stains on boats on Sept. 20, and the stains don't have anything to do with the Aug. 23 incident.
Sander said he doesn't believe the stains on the boats stem from his company or that there's any reason to have health concerns.
"The characteristics of the stain do not appear similar to the products of our operation. Our operation experienced no iron oxide emissions on or before Sept. 20 that could have produced the waxy brown stain. Notwithstanding, we have responded to several inquiries by several boat owners by examining the affected boats," he said. "I can assure you there's nothing in what we do that would adversely affect the health of people. That's a given."
Representatives from U.S. Steel Midwest also inspected the vehicles. The plant is located less than a quarter of a mile from the marina. A U.S. Steel spokesman did not return a call for comment.
For boaters and investigators, the focus now is on solving the mystery of what caused the stains.
"My big concern is to figure out what it is so we can figure out how to treat it," Ekdahl of the marina said.
http://www.wthr.com/story/13301306/indiana-agency-investigates-stains-at-portage-marina
Portage - Tiny orange-brown stains dotting more than 200 boats, dock boxes and a building at the Portage Public Marina have attracted the attention of Indiana environmental officials.
Spokesman Rob Elstro of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management says the agency has sent staff to the marina several times and has collected samples. The source of the stain remains under investigation.
Marina harbor master Allen Ekdahl tells the Post-Tribune of Merrillville that he has received between 35 and 50 complaints about the stains since Sept. 20. The stains resemble rust with a particle etched in the middle.
