Clean up the Ballast

Aquatic invasive species are one of the biggest threats to River health today. Save The River’s Clean-Up the Ballast Campaign is focused on stopping aquatic invasive species introductions by tackling the primary source – ship ballast tanks.

The Link Between Ship Ballast and Invasive Species Introductions

More than 186 aquatic invasive species have been documented in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River system. And, A new invasive species introduction is reported in the Great Lakes every 6 ½ months, the highest rate of introductions for any ecosystem with long-term data.

Since 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened the River and Lakes to direct ocean-going shipping, 65% of species discovered have been attributed to ballast water release. Scientists have shown that the rate of discovery of invaders is directly correlated with shipping activity.

Economic Impact of Aquatic Invasive Species

The cost to the regional economy from invasive species is estimated to be billions of dollars per year. The cost of zebra and quagga mussel control alone is estimated at$500 million per year over the next five years.

Clean Up the Ballast Campaign

Save The River is working to clean up ship ballast tanks in two ways:

• Legislation – Save The River has been advocating at the federal and state level for stringent ballast regulations for all ships transiting the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River.
• Moratorium – Save The River has joined the call for an immediate moratorium on salties until strong ballast protections are in place to prevent new aquatic invasive species introductions. To learn more visit www.saltfreelakes.org.

Latest News

Press Release: As Seaway Opens, Great Lakes Still at Risk from Invasive Species
As the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway prepares to open for its 51st season, conservation groups are once again calling for protections from aquatic invasive species introduced and spread from ballast water of commercial vessels. read more

Action Alert! Tell the Coast Guard to Implement Strict Ballast Clean-Up Rules!
After years of inaction, the U.S. Coast Guard is poised to fix one of the most troublesome problems facing the St. Lawrence River: aquatic invasive species. New regulations to clean up ship ballast tanks could be groundbreaking and the strongest effort yet in the fight to stop aquatic invasive species introductions. But they're not strong enough. Read more on how you can take action.... read more

Alert for Chicago Area! Tell the U.S. Coast Guard To Protect the Great Lakes from Invasive Species on October 2nd in Chicago!
The United States Coast Guard recently proposed a new rule that would limit the number of invasive species that cargo vessels are allowed to discharge into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. This could be a groundbreaking regulation that the lakes have been waiting on for over a decade. But the proposed rule isn’t strong enough to protect the River and Lakes as quickly as needed. Learn more about a public hearing on the proposed rule in Chicago... read more

A Win on Ballast – Court Throws Out Challenge of NY State Ballast Regs
Great news arrived on Friday afternoon (May 29th) that the New York State Supreme Court has thrown out a lawsuit brought by the shipping industry challenging New York State’s tough new ballast rules. You may recall that last winter New York State enacted tough, new rules to regulate ship ballast tanks as part of efforts to ... read more

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