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Marine Flare Collection Calendar Alert

It’s that time of year again (yes, we’re still doing it the old way). It’s time to dig out those expired marine flares that you put aside until you could figure out what to do with them, as marine flare collection events are coming up in October and November.

Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Del Norte County, Humboldt County, Alameda County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, L.A. County, and San Diego can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events as follows:

Southern California

Port of San Diego
October 26, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — 2210 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, CA 92106.

Port of Los Angeles
October 26, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — Cabrillo Way Marina, 2293 Miner St., San Pedro, CA 90731.

City of Morro Bay
October 27, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — 1196 Front St., Morro Bay, CA 93442.

Northern California

West Contra Costa County
Oct 16–Nov 24, Wed–Sat 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — 101 Pittsburg Ave., Richmond, CA 94801.

Del Norte County and Humboldt County
November 2, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — 1700 State St., Crescent City, CA 95531,

Marin County
November 3, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Clipper Yacht Harbor, 310 Harbor Dr., Sausalito, CA 94965,

Alameda County
November 3. By Appointment ONLY. Sign up for an appointment at www.stopwaste.org/marineflares.

Only expired marine flares from residents and boaters berthing their boats in the covered areas will be accepted. No marine flares from commercial craft or an organization, or other forms of household hazardous waste (HHW), will be accepted during the special event. Proof of residence or eligibility is required (i.e., license, registration, or slip fee).

We received the above and the following information:

“This collection event has been organized by Alameda County, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, the Ports of L.A. and San Diego, the City of Morro Bay, and the California Product Stewardship Council in partnership with CalRecycle, California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program, to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.

“The United States Coast Guard (USGC) requires boaters to carry several unexpired visual distress signals on board, day and night. Pyrotechnic marine flares are a common type of distress signal, but they are explosive hazardous waste and contain toxic chemicals, like perchlorate, that pose human health risks. Marine flares only work once and expire 36 to 42 months after the manufacture date.”

Marine flares collection
What to do with old marine flares? Put the collection dates on your calendar.
© 2024 Vivian Matuk

“For safety and environmental reasons, it is essential to manage single-use pyrotechnic marine flares carefully. Residents should never throw flares overboard into the environment or out in household trash. However, California resident boaters do not have access to an ongoing expired marine flare disposal program, and recreational vessels generate about 174,000 pyrotechnic marine flares every year, according to the California Expired Marine Flare Working Group as estimated in 2012.

“In the absence of safe disposal options locally, the partners encourage resident boaters to consider an electronic visual distress signal device (eVDSD) as a reusable distress signal alternative to the single-use pyrotechnic marine flare.”

Sirius Signal
Electronic Visual Distress Signal Devices won’t sit in your garage awaiting their fate.
© 2024 Sirius Signal

For more information about expired marine flares, visit dbw.parks.ca.gov/marineflares.

Sailing

1 Comment

  1. Walter Brown 1 month ago

    Last year I went to our local transfer point and dropped off a few expired flares. I was very pleased to be GIVEN an electronic SOS beacon in exchange. These things are great and the one I received was just like the one in your picture. They never expire but I would advise not keeping the batteries inside to avoid a possible leakage problem. Do you know if they will be giving these out again?

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