The Coast Guard has published a new standard for the amount of living organisms that can be contained in ballast water discharged from vessels in U.S. waters. “These new regulations will aid in controlling the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species from ships’ ballast water,” said Jeffrey Lantz, director of the Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Regulations and Standards. “This final rule establishes a ballast water discharge standard that is protective of the marine environment and is also consistent with the discharge standard adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2004.” The new standard sets limits that fall within guidelines put forth by the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board. The full guideline is published in the Federal Register, available online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. It will take effect 90 days after publication.
