Ballast water bill stuck in US Senate; weakened Clean Water Act a worry
September 05, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Mike Simonson | Source: Business North
A Wisconsin Ports Association letter blames California U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer for the delays. Lake Carriers Association President James Weakley agrees.
“As things stand right now, yes, the bill is effectively stalled.”
Weakley and several Great Lakes port directors want the ballast bill passed…to end the threat of closing the St. Lawrence Seaway to shipping. That threat comes after an appeals court ruling in July that said ballast water must comply with the Clean Water Act, and the EPA can’t exclude ballast water from the Act.
Weakley says the ballast water bill would simply allow the Coast Guard to decide ballast water standards…not have state-to-state regulations.
…Wisconsin U.S. Senator Russ Feingold says he’s working to get the bill through Congress, and acknowledges that the stumbling block is the Clean Water Act.
