AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES in BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options
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AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options DRAFT REPORT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT September 10, 2001 Prepared by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds Office of Wastewater Management Washington, DC PREFACE This draft report, Aquatic Nuisance Species in Ballast Water Discharges: Issues and Options was prepared in response to a petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received on January 13, 1999, from the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center. The petition was filed on behalf of fifteen nongovernmental and State and Tribal governmental organizations. The petition asked that EPA eliminate a regulatory exemption that currently prevents ballast water discharges from vessels from needing permits under EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. The petition was closely followed by a letter from eighteen members of Congress, requesting that EPA examine whether the Clean Water Act can be used to provide effective regulation of aquatic nuisance species in vessel ballast water. In response to the petition, Congress’s inquiry, and the growing national concern about aquatic nuisance species introductions, former Assistant Administrator for Water J. Charles Fox directed Office of Water staff to research the issue of aquatic nuisance species in ballast water discharges, and report back what mechanisms are available under the Clean Water Act or other relevant statutes or programs to effectively control the introduction of aquatic nuisance species through ballast water. EPA is seeking public comment on this draft report, and will finalize the report, taking into account public comments received. If you have information or comments, please email them to [email protected], or mail them to: Marine Pollution Control Branch, ATTN: Ballast Water, US Environmental Protection Agency (4504F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20460. Please include your name, affiliation, address, phone number and/or email address. All comments received before January 11, 2002, will be made part of the official record, and will be considered when finalizing the report. An electronic copy of the entire draft report can be viewed or downloaded from EPA’s internet web site at “http://www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/petition.html”. A paper copy of the draft report can be obtained by sending a written request to: Marine Pollution Control Branch, ATTN: Ballast Water, US Environmental Protection Agency (4504F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20460. AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT – September 10, 2001 CONTENTS 1.. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................... 1 a. Purpose of Report .............................................. 1 b. Summary of Draft Recommendations ................................ 1 c. Other Options for Addressing Ballast Water ........................... 2 2.. BACKGROUND ............................................................... 4 a. Petition ...................................................... 4 b. Ballast Water ANS .............................................. 4 c. Other Pathways for ANS Introductions ............................... 6 d. Vessel Traffic Information ........................................ 7 i. Description of Vessels ............................... 7 ii. Economics of Vessel Commerce ....................... 8 iii. Potential Costs of Controlling Ballast Water ANS .......... 8 iv. Potential Costs of Not Controlling Ballast Water ANS ....... 9 e. Ballast Water Management Methods ................................. 9 i. Mid-ocean Exchange ................................ 9 ii. Special-Case Ballast Water Management Methods ......... 10 iii. Alternative Methods in Research, Development or Demonstration Stages .......................................... 11 3.. CURRENT ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ANS ......................................... 16 a. Federal Actions ............................................... 16 i. Executive Order 13112 ............................. 16 ii. National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (NISA) ............ 16 (1) NISA’s Ballast Water Regulations (33 CFR 151)17 (2) National Ballast Water Clearinghouse ...... 17 (3) Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) .................................. 19 (4) Ballast Technology Demonstration Program .................................. 19 (5) Environmental Protection Agency’s Role under NISA ............................. 19 iii. Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) ............. 19 iv. Current Activities Under the Clean Water Act (CWA) ...... 20 (1) Section 303 ......................... 20 (2) Section 311 ......................... 20 (3) Section 312 ......................... 20 v. Other Federal Laws ................................ 20 b. International Actions ........................................... 21 i. Foreign Laws .................................... 21 ii. International Agreements ............................ 21 (1) International Maritime Organization (IMO) .................................. 21 (2) International Joint Commission (IJC) ...... 22 (3) Other Treaties and Agreements ........... 22 c. State And Regional Programs ..................................... 23 i. State ANS Management Plans ........................ 23 (1) Michigan ........................... 24 (2) Washington ......................... 25 ii. Historical State Laws and Regulations .................. 25 iii. Recent State Laws to Address Ballast Water ANS ......... 25 (1) California ........................... 25 AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT – September 10, 2001 (2) Washington ......................... 25 (3) Maryland ........................... 26 (4) Virginia ............................ 26 (5) State Bills Introduced .................. 26 d. Local programs ............................................... 26 i. Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, California ....................................... 26 ii. Port of Oakland, California .......................... 27 iii. Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California ......... 27 NONREGULATORY APPROACHES TO BALLAST WATER CONTROL ................... 28 e. Support the U.S. Coast Guard’s Ballast Water Regulation Program ........ 28 f. Establish a National Voluntary Partnership that Emphasizes Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Approaches to Controlling Ballast Water ANS ........................................................... 28 g. Support Other ANS Programs .................................... 29 i. Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) .......... 29 ii. Invasive Species Council ............................ 29 iii. Interagency Committee on the Marine Transportation System ............................................... 29 iv. National Estuary Program (NEP) ..................... 29 v. Coral Reef Task Force ............................. 30 vi. Voluntary Partnership with Ports ...................... 30 h. Support State Ballast Water Programs .............................. 30 REGULATORY APPROACHES TO BALLAST WATER ................................. 31 i. Overview of the NPDES Program .................................. 31 j. Ballast Water ANS as Pollutants .................................. 32 k. The Current Vessel Exemption from NPDES Permit Requirements ......... 32 l. Approaches for Regulating Ballast Water Discharges with NPDES Permits .. 33 i. Revising the NPDES Regulations ..................... 34 ii. Development of a National Effluent Guideline under 304(b) ............................................... 36 iii. Ballast Water Treatment Requirements Based on CWA §402(g) ............................................... 36 OTHER ....................................................................... 38 m. Other Clean Water Act authorities ................................. 38 i. Ballast Water Treatment by Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) ....................................... 38 ii. Section 504 ...................................... 38 n. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) .......................... 38 DRAFT CONCLUSIONS .......................................................... 39 DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................... 41 4.. LIST OF ACRONYMS ......................................................... 43 REFERENCES .................................................................. 45 Appendix A. State Laws And Regulations Relating to Ballast Water ........................ A - 1 Appendix B. Federal Laws Potentially Relating to ANS in Ballast Water .................... B - 1 AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT – September 10, 2001 AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES IN BALLAST WATER DISCHARGES: Issues and Options DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT – September 10, 2001 1.. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY a. Purpose of Report This draft report examines the issue of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) introduction by the discharge of ballast water from vessels. It first discusses vessel traffic and the technical aspects of ballast water management. It then surveys existing Federal, State and international actions to address ANS. The draft report then discusses options for controlling ballast water through legal, technical, and practical mechanisms. It identifies regulatory and non-regulatory actions that the EPA and other agencies are taking or might take