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I was reading that a Calif. company is in production on a product developed
in a New York university in co-operation with the US and Canadian govts
that is made from a soil bacteria. It supposedly is harmless to native species
of mollusks and other native species and so far has a kill rate of 98%.
It's been in testing for a few years by dam/power plant operators.
The thrust of the mitigation efforts so far has been to educate boat owners
about the need to clean and dry their boats, trailers, and water toys after each
use.
It seems the most favored cleaning process involves pressure washing with
HOT water and thorough drying of anything that has come into contact with
infected water.
Being a California "tree hugger" I'm not too confident on the chemical
solutions that usually are proposed to "fix" the problems that are created by
us, but this one may have some promise.
As far as it relates to our sport, the hot water cleaning and drying
doesn't seem so tough.
It will be fairly easy to add this procedure to my dive operations. The
various governing authorities are still mulling over what restrictions will be
imposed on the transfer of water craft from one location to another, so
anticipating the ongoing results of their actions and designing in a means of
easy inspections and cleaning could be something we should consider.
It may be something we as a concerned group should mention on the psub site
to educate prospective sub builders in an effort to portray our group as
"responsible members" of the greater boating community.
I'll be putting in the previously mentioned inspection windows on my
ballast tanks and making the necessary modifications to the tanks for simplified
cleaning procedures.
Cleaning will need to include the sub's trailer, plumbing and vent systems,
and anything else that has come in contact with water.
As far as I can tell so far, it's not an issue when salt water locations
are used but any fresh water diving is likely to entail frequent inspections
that are likely to include additional fees and regulations.
Frank D.
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