Attached is the 2009 Summary of Great Lakes Seaway Ballast Water Management report compiled by the Great Lakes Ballast Water Working Group (BWWG).  The BWWG is comprised of representatives of the U. S. Coast Guard, Transport Canada – Marine Safety, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

Preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species into the Great Lakes through stricter ballast water standards and a comprehensive enforcement policy is a top priority for the U. S. Coast Guard.  In 2009, 100% of ships bound for the Great Lakes via the Seaway received a ballast tank exam.  A total of 5450 ballast tanks onboard 295 different ships were sampled and had a 97.9% compliance rate. Ships that failed to properly manage their ballast tanks were required to either retain the ballast water and residuals on board, treat the ballast water in an environmentally sound and approved manner, or return to sea to conduct a ballast water exchange.  The BWWG anticipates continued high ship compliance rates for the 2010 navigation season.

To get further information, please contact Commander Tim Cummins at Timothy.M.Cummins@uscg.mil or call 216-902-6049.

A Coast Guard-created white paper on Ballast Water Discharge Standards.

Chart created by the Great Lakes Commission outlining state-by-state Ballast Water permitting.

Coast Guard created document detailing the current status of the service's Ballast Water Discharge Standard rulemaking as of June 2009.

2008 Summary of Great Lakes Seaway Ballast Water Working Group - March 2009

News on aquatic invasions from the Great Lakes Commission.