In This Section

Navigation for Caring for the Coast

Caring for the Coast Home Oil Spills

Toolkit

Oil Spill Prevention

Response

Compliance

Research & Development

Facilities and Equipment

    »

Bilge Facilities

    »

TABS

Glossary

Acronyms

Environmental Protection Permit Assistance Coastal Erosion Open Beaches Coastal Construction Grants & Funding Hurricanes Education & Outreach Public Notices How Do I? Location and Hours

Bilge Facilities

While large oil spills capture headlines, 90 percent of the oil fouling Texas coastal waters comes from other sources, including illegally dumped used oil and bilge water from boats and fishing vessels.

In order to reduce these small spills, the Land Office operates eight bilge water reclamation facilities, six portable skid-mounted units and two used-oil collection facilities along the Gulf Coast. View Bilge Facility Locations, View Skid-Mounted Unit Locations

For no charge, commercial fishing vessels and recreational boaters can use these facilities to properly dispose of oil and bilge water and keep them out of Texas waters.  The Land Office then recycles the used oil and safely disposes of polluted bilge water.

By making this disposal free of charge and easily available, the Land Office prevents many small spills that could cause damage to the coastal environment and tie up vital agency resources.

Thanks to the convenience and zero cost of the Land Office bilge water reclamation facilities, fishermen and other vessel operators have safely disposed of millions of gallons of contaminated bilge water and motor oil.

Because of the large number of commercial fishermen on the Texas coast, their involvement in the Bilge Water Reclamation program is vital. In order to ensure their continued cooperation, Land Office Response Officers take every opportunity to educate commercial fishermen about the program. Program flyers are posted in common areas in both English and Vietnamese.

If your organization is interested in establishing a bilge water reclamation facility in your community, please contact Land Office staff.