U.S. Representative Frank A. Lobiondo (R-Nj) Holds a Hearing On Ballast Water Management and Reduction of Air Pollution From Ships

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE: SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION HOLDS A HEARING ON BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS

JULY 11, 2006

SPEAKERS: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FRANK A. LOBIONDO (R-NJ) CHAIRMAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HOWARD COBLE (R-NC) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE WAYNE T. GILCHREST (R-MD) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PETER HOEKSTRA (R-MI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ROB SIMMONS (R-CT) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARIO DIAZ-BALART (R-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID G. REICHERT (R-WA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CONNIE MACK (R-FL) U.S. DELEGATE LUIS G. FORTUNO (R-PR) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES W. BOUSTANY (R-LA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DON YOUNG (R-AK) EX OFFICIO

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BOB FILNER (D-CA) RANKING MEMBER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CORRINE BROWN (D-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GENE TAYLOR (D-MS) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HONDA (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ANTHONY D. WEINER (D-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN HIGGINS (D-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN BAIRD (D-WA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JAMES L. OBERSTAR (D-MN) EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: REAR ADMIRAL BRIAN SALERNO (USCG), DIRECTOR OF INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE, UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

TIMOTHY KENNEY, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

CATHERINE HAZLEWOOD, SENIOR POLICY ADVISER FOR NORTH AMERICA, GLOBAL INVASIVE SPECIES INITIATIVE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

KATHY METCALF, DIRECT OF MARITIME AFFAIRS, CHAMBER OF SHIPPING OF AMERICA

DONALD O'HARE, VICE PRESIDENT, WORLD SHIPPING COUNCIL

[*] LOBIONDO: Good morning. The subcommittee will come to order. The subcommittee is meeting this morning to review draft legislation that addresses the treatment of invasive species in ballast water and the implementation of international vessel emission requirements under Annex 6 of the MARPOL Convention.

This subcommittee has held numerous oversight hearings on the federal government's efforts to reduce the risk of aquatic invasive species through the release of ballast water from vessels operating in U.S. waters. The Coast Guard has issued regulations to require all vessels on a voyage originating in a foreign port to carry out ballast water exchange before the vessels enter U.S. waters.

I am concerned, however, that the ballast water exchange alone may not fully protect our coastal ecosystems from the threat of invasive species. This draft bill would require the Coast Guard to establish national ballast water discharge standards after the service has certified there exists alternative ballast water management methods which are capable of reducing the concentration of organisms in ballast water at least to the international standard.

If the Coast Guard determines concentrations of invasive species can be reduced to a level which exceeds the international standards, the draft bill requires the Coast Guard to issue regulations implementing methods to do so. The draft bill also proposes to use the Coast Guard's Shipboard Technology Evaluation Program to demonstrate the capabilities of experimental alternative ballast water management methods onboard vessels active in maritime commerce.

The draft bill is a work in progress. It does not represent a consensus of all interested parties or members of this subcommittee. I look forward to hearing the comments of the witnesses and the members of the subcommittee on how we should direct the Coast Guard to address ballast water management in the future.

The subcommittee is also considering draft legislation that would implement international vessel emission standards that were agreed to in MARPOL Annex 6. Earlier this year, the Senate gave its advice and consent to the treaty contingent on the adoption of legislation to implement these requirements here in the United States. The draft bill incorporates several provisions included in the administration's proposal to Congress with several changes regarding the role of Environmental Protection Agency to develop, administer and enforce regulation aboard vessels operating in the United States.

The draft bill proposes to maintain these responsibilities of administering and enforcing U.S. laws aboard vessels under the authority of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard currently administers and enforces regulat...

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