Invasive Species: Aquatic Species

Random invasive species images that represents what NISIC does

Ballast Water

Ballast Water Legislation

U.S. House Passes Bill Stripping States of Authority to Regulate Ballast Water Discharges (Nov 2011)
The Council of State Governments.
A proposal passed by the U.S. House Nov 15 would strip states of the authority to establish ballast water standards that are more stringent than those set at the federal level. It would also set a new national treatment standard in line with that of the International Maritime Organization. For more information, see the ballast water provisions in HR 2838, the Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Authorization Act.

EPA Proposes Updated Vessel General Permit and Permit for Small Vessels/Action Would Help Protect U.S. Water Quality and Lower Invasive Species risk (Nov 30, 2011)
Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA is issuing two draft vessel general permits that would regulate discharges from commercial vessels, excluding military and recreational vessels. The proposed permits would help protect the nation's waters from ship-borne pollutants and reduce the risk of introduction of invasive species from ballast water discharges. See Vessel General Permit and a brief overview of the two draft permits (PDF | 590 KB) for more information. EPA will take public comment and issue a final plan in Nov 2012.

Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters (Dec 20, 2010)
DHS. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is proposing new standards for controlling foreign organisms that might hitch a ride to the U.S. in a ship's ballast water (view rule). The proposal also would establish new procedures for approving onboard equipment to clean ballast water before discharge. For the first time, the regulation sets upper limits for the number of organisms per unit of ballast water. The current rules only require vessels to make mid-ocean ballast exchanges, a control technique that has frequently been attacked as inadequate to prevent the introduction of alien species into U.S. waters. The Coast Guard's proposal closely follows recommendations adopted last month by the International Maritime Organization's marine pollution committee.
Note: The draft Ballast Water Discharge Standard (BWDS) rulemaking package is currently still in review (as of Nov 7, 2011).

Federal Government
State Government
University/Academic
International
Organizations

Federal Government

Current State of Understanding about the Effectiveness of Ballast Water Exchange (BWE) in Reducing Aquatic Nonindigenous Species (ANS) Introductions to the Great Lakes Basin and Chesapeake Bay, USA: Synthesis and Analysis of Existing Information (Sep 2007; PDF | 4.5 MB)
U.S. Government Printing Office. Federal Depository Library Program Electronic Collection Archive.
Compiled and Edited by Gregory Ruiz and David Reid, NOAA Technical Memorandum GLERL-142.

Ballast Water Management to Combat Invasive Species (Updated Jun 20, 2007; PDF | 111 KB)
National Council for Science and the Environment. National Library for the Environment.
Congressional Research Service Report RL32344.
Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Dispersion; Legal Aspects

National Ballast Information Clearinghouse (NBIC)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Controls; Legal Aspects

Report to Congress on the Voluntary National Guidelines for Ballast Water Management (Nov 2001; PDF | 2.5 MB)
American Association of Port Authorities.
Controls; Legal Aspects; Special Note: The U.S. Coast Guard released their report to congress, recommending a nation wide mandatory ballast water exchange program. The report outlines the recommended changes in the program and includes a projected timeline for the proposed changes.

Ballast Water Management
DHS. Coast Guard. Operating and Environmental Standards.
Controls; Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

Ballast Water and Aquatic Invasive Species
DOT. Maritime Administration.
Controls; Legal Aspects; Special Note: Contains full text reports and other publications.

Ballast Water: Invasive Species
EPA. Wastewater Management.
Taxonomy; Introduction History; Impacts; Dispersion; Controls; Legal Aspects

State Government

Marine Invasive Species Program
California Department of Fish and Game. Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
Dispersion; Special Note: Database

Ballast Water Program
California State Lands Commission.
Controls; Legal Aspects

Ballast Water
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Division of Aquatic Resources.
Impacts; Legal Aspects

Maryland's Former Ballast Water Management Regulations
Maryland Department of the Environment.
Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Frequently Asked Questions
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Identification/Description; Impacts; Controls; Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Discharges: Protecting New York's Waters from Invasive Species
New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Introduction History; Impacts; Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Program
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Discharge General Permit Media Kit
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Impacts; Legal Aspects

University/Academic

Ballast Water Background
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant. Center for Coastal Resources.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Dispersion; Controls; Legal Aspects

Ballast Water Research
Portland State University. Center for Lakes and Reservoirs.
Photographs; Dispersion; Legal Aspects

International

Ballast Water
European Maritime Safety Agency.
Impacts; Controls; Legal Aspects

Global Ballast Water Management Programme (GloBallast)
International Maritime Organization. Global Environment Facility.
Illustrations; Impacts; Life Cycle; Dispersion; Controls; Legal Aspects; Special Note: Contains full text monographs and other publications.

EMBLA: Environmental Risk Management System for Ballast Water Assessment
Det Norske Veritas.
Impacts; Controls

Canada Shipping Act - Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations (Jun 8, 2006; PDF | 116 KB) - Current to Nov 30, 2011
Canada Department of Justice
Legal Aspects

Organizations

Ballast Water Management - Position Paper (Mar 2007; PDF | 58 KB)
American Association of Port Authorities.
Impacts; Controls; Legal Aspects

Great Lakes Law Weblog: Aquatic Invasive Species and Ballast Water Pollution
Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.
Impacts; Legal Aspects

Great Ships Initiative
Great Ships Initiative.
Impacts; Controls; Research

Stemming the Tide: Controlling Introductions of Nonindigenous Species by Ships' Ballast Water (1996)
National Research Council. Committee on Ships' Ballast Operations.
Identification/Description; Illustrations; Impacts; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls; Special Note: Full text monograph.

Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC): A Maryland Ballast Water Initiative
Maritime Environmental Resource Center.
Controls

Pacific Ballast Water Group
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Impacts; Controls; Special Note: Contains full text presentations.

Non-Indigenous Species and Ballast Water
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Illustrations; Introduction History; Dispersion; Controls

Ballast Water Management - Policy Issues Package
State Environmental Resource Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Dispersion; Legal Aspects

Last Modified: Jan 01, 2012

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