If you haven’t heard: As of January 1, 2023, the antifouling ingredient Irgarol, also called Cybutryne, which is found in some older bottom paints from Interlux and Pettit, was banned in Washington. It was introduced as a less harmful antifoulant replacement for tributyltin (TBT), but more recent research has discovered that it is indeed very toxic to the environment, especially to our primary producers, like phytoplankton, as well as crabs, starfish, and sea squirts (https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/ 1904020.pdf). There are some links found below to guide you in proper disposal, but I also want to make myself available for collection as well. PLEASE call me if you would like me to handle the disposal.From the Department of Ecology:
Law prohibits use of Irgarol Paints
Beginning January 1, 2023, Washington law bans the use of Irgarol paints on recreational vessels. This law prohibits:
-
Sales of boat paints containing Irgarol.
-
Application of paints containing Irgarol.
-
Sales of new boats painted with Irgarol paints.
Used boat sales are not affected by the new restriction, and boat owners are not required to remove existing Irgarol paint. At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not allow paints containing Irgarol to be registered and sold in the United States. If your boatyard allows customers to bring in their old “slime-resistant” paints from Interlux or Pettit, you may want to look closely at the active ingredients to determine if they contain an ingredient called Irgarol 1051. Irgarol has been gradually phased out of the market, and it’s unlikely to be found in new paints.
Please help educate customers about this stop use of Irgarol-containing paints. Our webpage could be used as reference material if your customers need more information.
Paint Disposal
If you need to dispose of old Irgarol paints, you have a couple of options:
-
Participate in WSDA collection events or direct pick up following the guidelines by Waste Pesticide Program.
-
Check with your local hazardous waste facility for small business drop-off and acceptance. King County also provides some information through King County hazardous waste disposal options for small businesses.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Iris Deng, our Natural Resource Scientist on this project iris.deng@ecy.gov.wa.
Hannah Vinyard (she/her)
ChemAction Outreach Specialist
Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction Program
Hannah.Vinyard@ecy.wa.gov | (360) 819-3366
Thank you,
Kimberlie Webber – she/her/hers
Environmental Specialist