Environmental Group Sues On Ballast Water Protections In Great Lakes

LANSING – A lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia on Tuesday calling on the court to stop the discharge of ballast water by international ships in the Great Lakes.

The National Wildlife Federation filed the suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection agency, after the EPA issued rules during the spring to regulate the discharge of ballast water.

The environmental group said ballast water discharges have allowed for a large variety of invasive species into the waters of the Great Lakes that have threatened native species as well as causing damage to shipping and infrastructure that costs residents an estimated $200 million annually.

The rules issued by the EPA are not strong enough to protect U.S. waters from invasive species brought into the Great Lakes and other domestic waters, the group said.

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