Ballast water steadies Lake Superior's freighters and lakers. The water also carries invasive species - about 90 of which have invaded the Great Lakes. More ballast water is discharged in the Twin Ports than all other Great Lakes harbors combined - so advocates say some sort of treatment is long overdue.
But industry insiders say proposed Minnesota rules to regulate ballast water could shut down shipping in Duluth, Silver Bay and Two Harbors. They fear regulatory uncertainty. And retrofitting ships could run $1 million apiece. When Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Brad Moore said last winter that his agency was moving to regulate ballast water in Lake Superior ships, few people paid close attention.
Congress at that time appeared ready to act on the issue, taking it out of the state's hands. And the Environmental Protection Agency was warning the PCA that the federal government, not individual states, would handle such regulations under the Clean Water Act as ordered by federal courts.
But Congress has stalled yet again. The proposed EPA rule still doesn't require ballast treatment. And the PCA citizens' board on Tuesday is expected to pass the toughest ballast water regulations on the Great Lakes.
Suddenly, lots of people are paying attention to Minnesota.
"If the federal government isn't going to act on this, then it's absolutely fantastic Minnesota is getting out ahead. The key now is to get other states to follow,'' said Henry VanOffelen, natural resource scientist for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. "We've had years of denials and delays and inaction on this issue. I think we're finally getting beyond that.''
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