MIAMI (AP) – A boating safety organization is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to develop a program to safely dispose of expired flares.

The Sea Tow Foundation an-nounced Tuesday that it is launching a pilot program in Florida next year. With the help of a $125,000 Coast Guard grant, a mobile incineration unit will traverse the state and safely dispose of old flares collected from boaters.

“While flare disposal is not part of a boater’s legal responsibility, it does affect the environment when not disposed of properly,” Sea Tow Foundation executive director Gail R. Kulp said in a statement.

The Coast Guard requires visual distress signals on all boats operating on coastal waters and the Great Lakes. Flares expire after 3 1/2 years, but throwing them in the trash can be dangerous and damaging to the environment.

The Sea Tow Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2007 by the founder of the Sea Tow marine assistance company.