Ballast water legislation in jeopardy

WASHINGTON, DC, August 31, 2007 -- WWEMA President Dawn Kristof Champney issued letters to the members of the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Environment & Public Works Committee calling for immediate action on ballast water discharge legislation currently under consideration in Congress.

"It is imperative that a single, uniform, national treatment standard for treating ballast water discharges be immediately established to eradicate the prevalence of aquatic nuisance species in our nation's water bodies," Champney stated.

Globally, it is estimated that more than 10,000 marine species each day may be transported across the oceans in the ballast water of cargo ships accounting for an estimated $5 billion a year in damages and control costs. "These alien species carried in ships' ballast tanks create major disruptions in our aquatic ecosystems and commercial fish harvest," she noted.

Ballast water management legislation introduced in the House (H.R. 2830) has already passed the Committee on Public Works and Transportation and is awaiting floor action. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate (S. 1578) but was recently removed from consideration in the Senate Commerce Committee due to Clean Water Act jurisdictional issues and states' rights.

"It is impossible for a ship, that may sail between ports in half a dozen states, to meet six, or more, conflicting state legislated treatment standards. For the same reasons, it is imperative that this legislation be the sole federal law regulating the treatment of ballast water," Champney explained.

Since 1908, WWEMA has informed, educated and provided leadership on the issues that shape the future of the water and wastewater industry.

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