NY Backs Off On Tough Ballast Water Regulations
"We have some environmental regulations in New York that will be very damaging if they continue," said St. Lawrence Seaway Administrator Terry Johnson, in an interview last week. Now, there's good news for the shipping industry. New York State officials have backed away from tough regulations for ridding ballast water of invasive species. The rules were scheduled to take effect in August of 2013 and would force ships to go beyond U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Standards for cleaning ballast water before it's released in U.S. Ports. In the meantime, the state says it will push for tougher federal standards. Environmentalist groups are hoping those standards are strong, and in place as soon as possible. "We hope that New York State uses their power and their influence with the E.P.A. to get the strongest possible rules in place as quickly as possible," says Caddick. The shipping industry isn't the only group supporting the change. The Canadian government is too, calling the original requirements "unattainable."
They're small organisms that cause big problems. "Here in the Great Lakes, species like the zebra mussel and round goby have out-competed native fish. They're voracious feeders," Jennifer Caddick, executive director of Save the River. Invasive species enter waterways when ships empty their ballast tanks; tanks filled with water to keep vessels balanced. While environmental groups push for stricter ballast water rules, shipping officials say tough regulations harm the industry. Most Popular |
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
, Watertown, NY
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