Senate approves bill that includes invasive species protections

SANDUSKY — The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan bill that continues to protect Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes from invasive species, Ohio senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman said.The measure, which the Senate OK'd last week, now awaits action in the House.Portman, a Republican, said the measure retains strong protections but will allow the federal government to develop a national standard for ballast discharges, replacing a patchwork of different state regulations that inhibit commerce.Brown, a Democrat, said he helped block an earlier version of the bill that weakened protections against invasive species."Any efforts that threaten the health of Lake Erie do not belong in federal law," Brown said. "I'm glad we were able to secure a bipartisan fix to protect our Great Lakes while also showing our support for the Coast Guard. I'll continue to fight for the health of our Lake and the Ohio businesses and families that rely on it."According to a fact sheet released by Brown's office, one of the changes that made the bill stronger is a provision that new EPA rules must be at least as strong as current EPA rules. State laws will stay in effect under new federal rules are final and enforceable for every type of vessel.The planned new federal ballast water regulations are part of the Frank Lobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act, S. 140, which reauthorizes federal spending to keep the U.S. Coast Guard in business.Ballast water is held aboard tanks in ships to help keep them stable and can be loaded or unloaded as needed, and as dictated by how the loading and unloading of cargo is affecting the ship. The discharge of ballast water has been a major source for putting invasive species into the Great Lakes.Portman's office said the bill includes a new EPA monitoring program to watch the Great Lakes for invasive species, funded at $50 million a year.Zebra mussels, native to Europe, are an example of invasive species that have invaded Lake Erie. They are believed to have come into the Great Lakes from contaminated ballast water.