"Senators Oppose Measure Removing EPA Power Over Ballast"

"WASHINGTON — Conservation groups say a measure under consideration in the U.S. Senate this week could have a far-reaching ecological effect in the Great Lakes by changing the regulation of ballast water discharged by large ships.

A measure included in the U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Act would transfer the authority over ballast water and other vessel discharges from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Coast Guard and pre-empt the ability of states to adopt their own regulations governing ballast discharge.

The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act is backed by industry groups including the American Waterways Operators and the Lake Carriers Association, which seek a national standard over an “unworkable patchwork” of requirements enforced by two dozen states and two federal agencies.

But environmental groups and some policymakers argue the provision would weaken protections against invasive species such as the zebra and quagga mussels, which entered the Great Lakes via ballast water."

Melissa Nann Burke reports for the Detroit News April 17, 2018.

Source: Detroit News, 04/18/2018