Environmentalists Threaten Another Lawsuit Over Stricter Ballast Rules

In their long-running battle with the federal government, environmentalists are threatening to file another lawsuit over ballast water discharges from cargo ships. The dumping from ships is blamed for spreading invasive species into the Great Lakes and other waters throughout the United States.

These groups believe that ships entering the Great Lakes should be forced to kill all creatures that are inside their ballast tanks. They also state that the proposed government standards to combat invasive species are too negligent. Many of these species have damaged the Great Lakes $7 billion fishery and have allowed algae to thrive. Researchers estimate the cost of dealing with these problematic species, like zebra mussels and spiny water fleas, at about $200 million.

Environmental activists are ready to take it to court for a fourth time to get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create stricter regulations on ballast discharge. The EPA is already under court order to rewrite its 2008 ballast tank rule this year; the new rule will become effective in 2013. They will most likely adopt recommendations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for treating discharged water.

Several technologies currently exist to treat ballast water, including cleaning the water with chemicals, ultraviolet light or filtration systems. Estimates claim that it would cost less than $1 million to equip a cargo ship with such technologies.

Current EPA standard entails ocean-going ships to exchange their ballast water with salt water while at sea, which will kill the freshwater species inside their tanks. However, environmental experts state that much and freshwater pockets will still harbor invaders. The groups urged zero tolerance for invasive species in ballast water to be discharged in the Great Lakes. They also want ballast treatment for ships that never leave the lakes but can spread already established invasive species. Reducing, but not eliminating, species could still prove disastrous if surviving creatures find each other and spread.

Recently, eight new invasive species were found in Lake Superior. There is also a significant federal effort under way to keep out invasive Asian Carp that are working their way up to the lakes from the Mississippi River basin.