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Court Decision Upholds Jurisdiction of Clean Water Act Over Ballast Water Discharges
But Aquatic Invasive Species Threat Demands Congressional Action
Statement by Jeff Skelding, National Campaign Manager, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Today the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the U.S. EPA violated the law by exempting discharges from ships, including ballast water discharges, from the Clean Water Act.
“We applaud the court for upholding Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction over the release of ballast water discharges into the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters. Unfortunately, the EPA has put forward a weak permit that will not fully protect the Great Lakes or other U.S. waters from the threat of aquatic invasive species.
“Congress has now, at its disposal, a strong bill that contains the national protections that people, businesses and cities have been seeking for years. It’s time that Congress act now to provide the millions of people who rely on the Great Lakes and our nation’s other great waters with the security of knowing that we have finally slammed the door on invasive species introduced by ballast water.
“We urge federal leaders to act now to protect our lakes, our public health, our economy and our way of life. Delay will only make the problem worse and the solution more costly.”
Jordan Lubetkin
Senior Regional Communications Manager National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes Office 213 West Liberty, Suite 200 | Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-887-7109 | Fax: 734-887-7199 | Cell: 734-904-1589
NWF's mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. www.nwf.org/news/
Working to restore the Great Lakes by offering solutions to sewage contamination, invasive species and other threats. www.healthylakes.org |