Final Coast Guard Regulations On Ballast Water Management

Mar 23: The U.S. Coast Guard issued its final rule [77 FR 17254-17320] amending its regulations on ballast water management by establishing a standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ships' ballast water discharged in waters of the United States. The Coast Guard also is amending its regulations for engineering equipment by establishing an approval process for ballast water management systems. The Coast Guard said the new regulations will aid in controlling the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species from ships' ballast water in waters of the United States. The final rule is effective June 21, 2012 except for 33 CFR 151.1513 and 151.2036 which contains information collection requirements that OMB has not approved. The Coast Guard indicated it will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date. Comments sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on collection of information must be received on or before May 22, 2012.

 

    The Coast Guard indicated that it is establishing a standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ballast water discharged from ships in waters of the United States. Additionally it is also amending its regulations for engineering equipment by establishing an approval process for ballast water management systems. The numerical limits set by the discharge standard in this Final Rule are supported by reports from the National Academy of Science and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board in 2011 as the most stringent that vessels can practicably implement and that the Coast Guard can enforce at this time.

 

    In a separate, but related announcement [77 FR 17082-17084] the Coast Guard announced the availability of a final programmatic environmental impact statement (FPEIS) for the rulemaking entitled, Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters (Docket No. USCG-2001-10486). The FPEIS provides an assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated with the establishment of a ballast water discharge standard for the allowable concentration of living organisms in ships' ballast water discharged in waters of the United States. The standard will be used to approve ballast water management methods that are effective in preventing or reducing the introduction of nonindigenous species via discharged ballast water into waters of the United States. Comments on the FPEIS and related material may be submitted on or before April 23,
2012.

 

    Access the FR announcement on the Final Rule (click here). Access the FR announcement on the FPEIS (click here). Access the Coast Guard Ballast Water Management website for details and background (click here). [#Water, GLakes]

 

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