March 3-4, 2014 Great Lakes Ballast Water Collaborative Meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland

October 7, 2019

On March 3-4, 2014, the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the International Joint Commission (IJC) co-hosted the seventh full-scale meeting of the Great Lakes Ballast Water Collaborative (BWC) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The goals of this meeting were for participants to: (1) develop a better understanding of the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) type-approval process; (2) discuss the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Vessel General Permit and state 401 certifications and permits; (3) Discuss Canada’s regulatory environment as signatories to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Convention (IMO Convention); (4) develop a better understanding of the status of the IMO Convention and recent issues associated with it; and (5) continue discussions about ballast water management system (BWMS) technology, development, and testing.

The Collaborative was formed to facilitate the exchange of information and cultivate relationships between state, provincial and federal regulators, the shipping industry, research scientists, and other stakeholders.