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http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/viewArticle.htm?articleId=20017427267&printable=true
Group seeks to ban sea-going vessels in Great Lakes
By Leo Ryan in Montreal - Thursday 24 May 2007
A COALITION has called on the US Congress to stop delaying effective action as damage soars from aquatic invasive species and to impose a moratorium on ocean-going ships sailing through the Great Lakes.
The coalition's membership is widely spread across the US Great Lakes states but also includes support from environmental circles in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
"Our call for a moratorium stems from the fact that the Great Lakes are under attack and Congress has yet to respond," said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition," during a press conference and conference call Wednesday at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Moreover, the problem has become more than just a regional one, with one of the most famous invaders, the zebra mussel, being recently discovered as far West as Lake Mead, Nevada.
It is estimated that invasive species cost US Great Lakes citizens, businesses and municipalities an estimated US$5bn annually.
Resulting attempts by individual states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Michigan to curb harmful introductions of non-native species from ballast water (beyond their territorial waters) are being challenged in court by the shipping industry.
The Coalition supports the passage of the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2007, a comprehensive bill to prevent invasive species introductions stop sewage contamination and restore wetlands. The bill is the latest effort in several years to obtain Congress backing for tough action.
"In light of congressional negligence, the increasing magnitude of this problem and the fact that there are transportation alternatives, we call for an ocean-shipping moratorium," said Jennifer Nalbone, campaign manager for the bi-national Great Lakes United. "Until federal regulations are in place, ocean vessels do not belong on the world's largest fresh water reservoir."
Montreal-based Fednav Ltd. is the largest ocean-going user of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System.
Contacted by Lloyd's List, John Weale, vice-president, Risk Management of Fednav Ltd., recalled that Fednav was very active in several Green Shipping initiatives on the waterway and installed a prototype of the OceanSaver Ballast Water Treatment System on one of its bulk carriers two years ago.
"At all times, we also take our ballast water exchanges off the coast of Canada very seriously," Mr. Weale said.
According to a 2005 study co-authored by US transportation consultant James Roach, ocean vessel cargo represents about 7% of the total Great Lakes/Seaway tonnage.
He affirms there would be adequate capacity via lakers, tug/barges, rail and trucks to handle cargo currently carried by ocean vessels. Observers note the latter argument assumes transhipments would be involved from ocean vessels unloading at such ports as Montreal and Quebec.
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