National Aquatic Invasive Species Act

Drum Roll Please

We are so close to having a national ballast law, we can smell it, taste it and the aroma is so appetizing. Yesterday, the US House passed the first ever national bill that will protect our fresh waters from ballast discharges when it voted 395 to 7 in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007.

The last year has seen Great Lakes States initiating their own ad hoc ballast bills in a desperate attempt to stop an impending “invasional meltdown” that would put the lakes on an irreversible trek toward ecological disaster, but now an answer is Read More » »

Coalition Applauds U.S. House for Passing Strong Invasive Species Bill

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (April 24, 2008)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today applauded Congress for passing a bill to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters.

“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a strong invasive species bill that protects our lakes, our national parks, our economy, our public health and our way of life,” said Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We urge the Senate to pass its bill and President Bush to sign into law these strong protections from Read More » »

Dishing up a Quagmire

While needed Federal ballast legislation spins and sputters in a political quagmire on Capitol Hill, invasive species continue to erode the Great Lakes ecosystem and affect everything from power plants to drinking water.

We have talked a lot about the dangerous and quickly replicating zebra mussels that arrived in the Great Lakes after hitching a ride in the ballast water of ocean going ships. But the zebra mussels’ nefarious reputation is being threatened by the quagga mussel. The quagga, that also booked passage from Europe in ballast water, is a more sophisticated breed and can live on almost any surface as Read More » »

Location, Location, Location

Unfortunately, the dating term geographically undesirable (GU) also appears to apply to Congress Members attitude toward the Great Lakes and the issues we have fervently been working on. Usually an explanation of why a budding romantic relationship failed to flower, GU also defines a lack of leadership and perhaps interest in the Great Lakes for lawmakers representing the more far flung districts in our eight states.

After reviewing comments made by those who took part in Great Lakes Day 2008, it becomes clear rather quickly that geography had a lot to do with the kind of experience HOW members had when Read More » »

Threat Level: Code Red, Severe Risk of Terrorist Attack

Tomorrow the St. Lawrence Seaway will open up for the new season and with it a dangerous threat - Russian born terrorists are poised to take advantage of the event to attack the United States under the watch of President Bush. Where is homeland security when you need it?

The terrorists in question are, of course, aquatic invasive species. The opening of the seaway marks the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the non-native mussel.

The pint-sized terrorists that hale from the Caspian Sea and stow away in the stabilizing ballast water of transatlantic ships first invaded our freshwater shores in the Read More » »

Great Lakes Day 2008

The Great Lakes region’s Healing Our Waters Coalition members joined forces in Washington today to hike the Hill and advocate for Great Lakes issues with US House and Senate Members and staff. They spent all of yesterday training up on a host of issues and preparing for today’s events.

“We need all the lobbying we can get,” Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich) told throngs of Great Lakes advocates preparing to march the halls of Congress.

Rep. Ehlers asked coalition members to urge Congress to pass the Great Lakes Legacy Act which is up for reauthorization. It was first passed Read More » »

Wisconsin Joins Michigan In Ballast Battle

Wisconsin has taken steps to join Michigan as the second state to regulate ballast water in the Great Lakes sending a clear signal to Washington that absent Congressional leadership and legislation, the state is prepared take the initiative to create ad hoc ballast controls. As it turns out, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has the legal authority to regulate ballast water discharges under the state’s Pollutant Discharge Elimination System so international shippers may soon have to apply for permits for discharges into Lakes Michigan and Superior.

Wisconsin’s determination of its legal authority to regulate ballast water under existing state Read More » »

Stop The Invasion!

Forget about little green men from Mars, alien invaders are taking over the world’s waters and wreaking ecological disaster everywhere they go. A new report by the Nature Conservancy finds that 84 percent of the world’s coasts are being overtaken by invasive species. The first quantitative study of the impact that marine invasive species are having illustrates where they are located, how they are transported and what they do to the natives once they occupy new ground.

The Great Lakes are no stranger to the ecological devestation these species are capable of and have spent Read More » »

Halting Invasive Species Requires More than New Rule by U.S. Seaway Corporation

The U.S. Seaway Development Corporation today proposed new ballast water regulations to curb the influx of invasive species. Here’s our take on the matter:

Seaway Proposal Helpful, But No Substitute for Comprehensive Solution to Aquatic Invasive Species

Statement by Jeff Skelding, National Campaign Director
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 16)—”The proposed rule is a helpful interim measure, but is no substitute for what’s most needed now: a comprehensive solution to aquatic invasive species transported in ballast water. Until Congress addresses the issue head-on, the problem will continue to get worse and cost more money.”

“Salt-water flushing will Read More » »

Leave No Lake Behind

The Ballast Water Bill of 2007 is on hold. While we have good reason to expect that this rigorous national approach to address the problem of invasive species will eventually pass –Great Lakes states should move aggressively to adopt their own protections against these costly invaders. 

Robert McCann, a spokesman for Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality, says that while they are glad the Federal government is considering this law – which would set rigorous national standards for the release of ballast water- there are still concerns for states. “The implementation is years out – 2015 before ships have to comply and Read More » »