EPA To Regulate Ships’ Ballast Dumping

Lisa Jackson, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head appointed by President Obama, said regulations that detractors claim are ineffective in stopping freighters from tipping harmful species into the country’s waterways, will be reviewed.

She will reappraise the EPA’s policy, made in December, ordering oceangoing ships to flush their ballast reservoirs at sea to eliminate any potentially harmful organisms.

Ballast, used for ship stability in high seas, is a major source of zebra mussels and other unwanted marine species, which have cost billions in financial injury, and damaged local species in the Great Lakes and other US waterways.

Ships sailing to U.S. ports with a full load of ballast must change the water while no less than 200 miles from the coast.

Empty tanks are required to be flushed with salt water to eradicate any lingering freshwater life forms, but some believe that this might still allow some unwanted species to escape.

Environmentalists are asking that shipping companies deploy techniques for purifying the ballast tanks, but the shippers maintain that these are not available yet, being still under development.

Jackson said, Tuesday, the EPA policy fails to cover all anxieties.

It was issued during the Bush era, after the EPA failed in court to have ballast release excluded from the Clean Water Act.

Jackson said that the issue is high on her agenda, although she does not yet know the solution.

Todd Ambs, superintendent of water of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said he was very pleased by Jackson’s knowledge of Great Lakes’ matters after one month in post and was heartened that she pledged to source more finance for conservation needs.

During his election campaign, Obama put forward a $5bn advance to execute a $20bn renovation, issued in 2005 by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration.

Jackson said, in spite of the massive shortfall in the national budget, the administration would respect that promise to inject more funding into Great Lakes refurbishment.

The area may receive almost $2bn for improvements to drinking water and sewage systems from the newly passed funding, which could provide employment opportunities.

Jackson agreed that this was not enough and pledged to lobby for greater funding for detoxifying polluted rivers and harbours in the region.