What is ballast water?īallast is extra weight added to a ship when it unloads its cargo – without it, the ship would pop out of the water like a cork and could become unstable. Proper management and treatment of ballast water significantly reduces this risk. Although it is essential for the safety of the ship, ballast water can be harmful to the marine environment as its discharge can release potentially invasive species into a new marine environment. EPA first issued the Vessel General Permit (VGP) in 2008 and subsequently reissued it in 2013.Large cargo ships use ballast water to balance their weight and keep them stable during a voyage. The new regulations will replace the EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit (“VGP”). Note: On December 4, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, which includes as Title IX the Vessel Incident Discharge Act of 2018 (“VIDA”). The EPA and the Department of Defense are jointly developing the Uniform National Discharge Standards for vessels of the Armed Forces which will also regulate ballast water and hull fouling to help control the introduction of aquatic nuisance species. The EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP) and Small Vessel General Permit (sVGP) regulate discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels, including ballast water and hull fouling, which are both pathways for introductions of aquatic nuisance species. In addition to intergovernmental efforts and research to detect and monitor aquatic nuisance species (ANS), the EPA addresses ANS using numerous regulatory tools. This will help ensure that aquatic organisms and pathogens are removed or rendered harmless before the ballast water is released into a new location – and avoid the spread of invasive species as well as potentially harmful pathogens. Ballast vessel meaning code#The amendments formalise an implementation schedule to ensure ships manage their ballast water to meet a specified standard ("D-2 standard") aimed at ensuring that viable organisms are not released into new sea areas, and make mandatory the Code for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems, which sets out how ballast water management systems used to achieve the D-2 standard have to be assessed and approved. The BWM Convention entered into force in 2017. The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (the BWM Convention) was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, to address this problem. (Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant - Ballast Water)Īmendments to an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of potentially invasive species in ships' ballast water entered into force on 13 October 2019. These introduced species, or bioinvaders, are also referred to as exotic species, alien species, and nonindigenous species. The release of ballast water may introduce non-native organisms into the port of discharge. In such cases, the shipís ballast water contains a mix of waters from multiple ports. If a ship is receiving or delivering cargo to a number of ports, it may release or take on a portion of ballast water at each port. Ballast water is then transported and released at the next port-of-call where the ship picks up more cargo. Usually, ballast water is pumped into ballast tanks when a ship has delivered cargo to a port and is departing with less cargo or no cargo. Ballast water may also be used to add weight so that a ship sinks low enough in the water to pass under bridges and other structures. It is used to provide stability and maneuverability during a voyage when ships are not carrying cargo, not carrying heavy enough cargo, or when more stability is required due to rough seas. Ballast water is fresh or saltwater held in the ballast tanks and cargo holds of ships. Ballast water is one of the major pathways for the introduction of nonindigenous marine species.
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