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You are looking at a preview of what’s in the timed Pennsylvania Boat Ed Course. Feel free to look around, but you’ll need to register to begin progress toward getting your Pennsylvania Boating Safety Education Certificate.

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Common Ways Boaters Harm the Environment

Did You Know?

Here are some common ways that boaters harm the environment.

If you simply toss your trash into the water, it will be around for years. Here's the time it takes for some common items to decompose.

Paper
Paper takes 2–4 weeks. Wax-coated paper, such as a fast food wrapper or cup, takes much longer.
Tin can
Tin cans take 100 years.
Aluminum can
Aluminum cans take 200–500 years.
Plastic six-pack rings
Plastic six-pack rings or any other plastic takes 450 years.
Glass
Glass bottles take more than 500 years.
Gasoline container
One gallon of gasoline can contaminate 750 gallons of drinking water.
Oil container
One single quart of oil when spilled can create an oil slick as large as three football fields and remain in the area for up to two years.