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A vessel uses ballast to offset the distribution and weight of 

 cargo which Is critical to the vessel's stability and safety. In 

 virtually every cargo operation, ballast must be either taken on 

 or discharged. Therefore, the management of ballast Is critical 

 to compliance. 



Froa Its earliest Involvement, the Coast Guard has realized that 

 ballast water exchange Is not the end-all solution for ballast 

 water management. There are numerous problems associated with 

 ballast water exchange and Its effectiveness Is only as reliable 

 as the efforts put forth by the vessel. Other technical methods 

 must be explored as alternatives for exchange so that vessels 

 have a variety of methods available to them to comply with 

 voluntary and regulatory efforts to prevent the spread of 

 nonlndlgenous aquatic nuisance species. 



Ballast water exchange seeks to flush out organisms and replace 

 the water with deep ocean water that should contain few. If any 

 organisms which can strive In freshwater. Currently, there Is a 

 reliance on the high salinity level of ocean water to help 

 destroy freshwater organisms. While this Is effective for 

 freshwater areas like the Great Lakes, high salinity levels will 

 have little or no effect on organisms taken on and discharged 

 into salt or brackish water. Additionally, even though ballast 

 water may be exchanged, sediment remains in the bottom of all 

 ballast tanks and may harbor and protect organisms from the 

 flushing action of the exchange. This sediment Is virtually 



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