Cargo Ships Oppose Proposed Ballast Rules

A proposed bill requiring ocean-going foreign vessels to dump their ballast water before they enter the Great Lakes is receiving strong criticism from shipping groups. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:

Transcript

A proposed bill requiring ocean-going foreign vessels to dump their ballast water before they
enter the Great Lakes is receiving strong criticism from shipping groups. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:


Helen Brohl of the Great Lakes Shipping Association agrees that the introduction of invasive
species into the lakes from ballast water is a problem. Zebra mussels alone have caused about a
billion dollars in damage since they got into the Great Lakes from foreign vessels in the
1980s. But Brohl says a bill proposed by a Michigan Congresswoman is too radical. She says
requiring ships to dump virtually all their ballast water before entering the Great Lakes would put
an end to international shipping in the area.


“When you have no cargo on a ship you have to use ballast water to even out the vessel in rough
weather. It’s a very dangerous thing not to have ballast water on board.


Brohl says a better approach is to require ships to use stringent ballast water management. That
includes regular flushing and keeping sediment out of the water.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Tracy Samilton.