IJC Town Hall Session 5: Advancing Ballast Water Protection as a Great Lakes Priority
Mark Burrows, International Joint Commission, [email protected]
Abstract
The U.S. Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) of 2018, signed into law on December 4, 2018, represents a significant change in the way the USEPA and US Coast Guard will regulate incidental discharges from vessels, including ballast water. These new rules will be phased in over four years, at which time the existing USEPA Vessel General Permit regulations and the USGC regulations will be phased out. Under the new regulatory scheme, the USEPA will develop National Standards of Performance, and the USCG will implement and enforce compliance with those standards. The new regulations will supersede state regulation of discharges but provide a process for state governors to propose enhanced standards. Among other things, VIDA programs also provide funding for development of new shipboard and land-based treatment system technologies, mitigation and restoration measures. In February 2019, Canada proposed new regulations to implement the International Maritime Organization discharge standards in waters under Canadian jurisdiction. How do these proposed regulations compare with other legislation? What challenges are involved? These new developments will be discussed and participants will be invited to provide input on these and other considerations for discharges from vessels in the Great Lakes.