EPA proposes ballast treatment regulations
December 3, 2011
The US EPA proposed new regulations on November 3rd that would require overseas ships to install treatment systems for ballast tanks. The treatments would kill at least some of the thousands of fish, mussels, and microorganisms that are transported into US waters in ballast water every year. The proposals have been criticized by some environmental groups, which claim that the new regulations are not stringent enough and would not take effect on all vessels for up to 10 years.
Read more:
Washington Post: EPA proposes standards for cleansing ship ballast water, leading pathway for invasive species
Kansas City Star: Ship ballast rule geared to protect Great Lakes gets mixed reviews
More invasivore news at Eat The Invaders
Tagged as:
aquatic,
ballast,
EPA,
fish,
legislation,
mussels,
ships
“What is being lost? The answer is easy. A precious and irreplaceable part of Florida’s, and the nation’s, heritage is disappearing. Plants, animals, and entire ecosystems that took tens of thousands to millions of years to evolve are at risk. What is being gained in their place? A hodgepodge of species found in other parts of the world. . . . Florida is being homogenized, and everyone, for all time to come, will be the poorer for it.”
—E. O. Wilson, in his foreword to Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida
