[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 4, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2838) to 
     authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 
     2012 through 2015, and for other purposes:

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Chair, I would like the record to unequivocally 
show that I strongly support reauthorizing our Nation's Coast Guard but 
oppose final passage of H.R. 2838 due to the controversial ballast 
water discharge provisions that were included in the bill.
  I represent a district in the Great Lakes region that contains over 
60 miles of coastline on Lake Ontario, a body of water that sees its 
fair share of shipping. New York State is the entry point for 
commercial shipping into the rest of the Great Lakes from the Saint 
Lawrence Seaway and I have serious concerns about how and what 
international commercial shipping vessels discharge into New York 
waters on their way to the rest of the Great Lakes.
  Each minute, 40,000 gallons of ballast water containing thousands of 
foreign bacteria, viruses, animals and plants, are discharged into U.S. 
waters. Globally, it is estimated that more than 10,000 marine species 
each day may be transported across the oceans in the ballast water of 
cargo ships. Ballast water has been identified as a common mechanism 
for the transfer of harmful invasive species that threaten the 
livelihood and recreation of the millions of residents who depend on 
them annually.
  The Coast Guard is in the process of finalizing its rulemaking 
process for a national Ballast Water Discharge Standard (BWDS) that 
would act as a floor for regulation on this issue, not a ceiling, and 
would allow states to impose stricter standards if they determine their 
waters are at risk. Title VII of H.R. 2838 would preempt this process 
by setting a weak national standard for the regulation of ballast water 
discharged into U.S. waters and would prevent states from implementing 
stronger than national standards when necessary. During consideration 
of H.R. 2838, I offered an amendment to strike Title VII or H.R. 2838. 
While, the amendment failed by a vote of 161 to 237, it received strong 
bipartisan support.
  Unfortunately, while I strongly support the Coast Guard, I cannot 
support legislation that restricts the ability of States to protect 
against the threat of invasive species. The ballast water provisions in 
H.R. 2838 restrict these very protections.

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