New York Sea Grant's
Marina Pollution Prevention Web Site

Section 3: Hauling and Storing Boats - Boat Disposal

Potential Environmental Impacts
Sunken or abandoned vessels can pose environmental and safety risks by leaking oil and fuel in a concentrated area. They can also cause navigational and safety hazards. If boats are properly disposed of before they become unseaworthy, the chances that the vessel will become an environmental risk are reduced.

Best Management Practices

Empty the boat's fuel tanks and reuse or dispose of used gasoline as hazardous waste.

Remove and recycle the following boat parts and fluid:

• used oil (for more information see Oil Changes, click here, and Bilge Cleaning, click here.
  
• used antifreeze (for more information, see Antifreeze, click here.
  
• boat engine (recycle as scrap metal)
  
• any metal with reuse value, such as lead, zinc, aluminum
  
• refrigerants

Remove all mercury containing devices (i.e., some electronic equipment, bilge pump switches, old ship's barometers) and handle as hazardous waste. If removed by the boater, the mercury containing devices can be managed as household hazardous waste. Otherwise, for information on hazardous waste management, click here.

Dispose of boats at a permitted solid waste landfill or transfer station.

Reduce the size of the hull into smaller pieces as directed by the solid waste facility. The smaller the pieces, the easier it is for the facility to take.