Action Needed Now: Speak at a Chicago Public Meeting on Invasive Species in Ballast Water Friday October 2nd!

The United States Coast Guard recently proposed a new rule that would limit the number of invasive species that cargo vessels are allowed to discharge into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. This could be a groundbreaking regulation that the lakes have been waiting on for over a decade.

But the proposed rule isn’t strong enough to protect the River and Lakes as quickly as needed. We need to tell the Coast Guard in no uncertain terms that it needs to stop introductions of aquatic invasive species into the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes – now!

A few facts about the rule:

• The final standard for ballast water discharges is excellent, and as good as the strongest state standard on the books (California’s).
• The timeline for implementing the final standard is weak. Ships could avoid complying until after 2020.
• There is a “feasibility review” of technology that could endlessly delay implementation of the final standard.
• It’s critical for the administration to get this right the first time so there are no further delays to getting technology installed on board ships.

You can let the Coast Guard know what you think about stopping the tide of invaders into the Great Lakes this Friday, October 2nd from 9 AM – 4 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Chicago at 10 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; phone: 312-595-0000. We recommend arriving early as the meeting could conclude after “all matters of discussion have been addressed,” according to the Coast Guard.

Download the proposed rule and instructions for submitting written comments here

Download the draft programmatic environmental impact statement here.

Download a summary fact sheet on the rulemaking.

Download an overview of the implementation timeline.

And, for more information about the impact of aquatic invasive species on the River, visit Save The River’s Clean Up the Ballast Campaign page.

If you need more information or help preparing comments for the hearing, call Jennifer Caddick at Save The River for more information (315) 686-2010 or jennifer@savetheriver.org.

Let Us Know How it Goes!

We’d love to hear back from anyone who attends the hearing! Give us a call at (315) 686-2010 or e-mail us at striver@savetheriver.org to let us know what you heard.