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TESTIHONY on the Need for a "Ballast Control Act" 



Hearings, October 27, 1993 



Dr. Jaoes T. Carlton 



Naritiae Studies Program 



HilllaBS College - Hystic Seaport 



Hystic CT 06355 



The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 

 (Public Law 101-646) established a "National Ballast Water Control Program" 

 which in turn mandated "Studies on Introduction of Aquatic Nuisance Species by 

 Vessels." One of these studies Is the "Shipping Study", defined as follows: 

 "a study to determine the need for controls on vessels entering waters 

 of the United States, other than the Great Lakes, to minimize the risk 

 of unintentional introduction and dispersal of aquatic nuisance species 

 in those waters. The study shall include an examination of — (A) the 

 degree to which shipping may be a major pathway of transmission of 

 aquatic nuisance species in those waters; (B) possible alternatives for 

 controlling introduction of those species through shipping; and (C) the 

 feasibility of Implementing regional versus national control measures." 

 This study commenced in December 1991 in our laboratory at the Williams 

 College -- Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program In Mystic CT. Funding was 

 provided by the D.S. Coast Guard (USCG) through the National Sea Grant 

 Program. The study assumed the working name of the "National Biological 

 Invasions Shipping Study", or NABISS. to address the three study elements 

 listed above. 



We studied ballast water and port operations by direct visits and vessel 

 boardings, with DSCG cooperation, in selected major U.S. ports, and by a 

 cooperative effort with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

 (APHIS) Inspectors. Ports selected for analyses were based upon vessel traffic 

 volume derived from U.S. Census data. We determined actual ballast carried 

 versus ballast capacity, and a wide range of other data on ballasting, 

 deballastlng, and exchanging operations. We further sou^t by using these and 

 U.S. Customs/U.S. Census data to estimate the amounts and sources of ballast 



