Funding Secured For World's Only Fresh Water Ballast Treatment Facility

[Staff]

Funding Secured For World's Only Fresh Water Ballast Treatment Facility
Story Published: Aug 3, 2009 at 11:57 AM CDT

Funding Secured For World's Only Fresh Water Ballast Treatment Facility | Northland's NewsCenter NBC 6, CBS 3, My 9, and Northland CW for Duluth MN / Superior WI | Local News
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Obey secured the funding in the 2005 federal budget to establish the treatment facility and has since helped secure more than $3 million in federal funds.

The federal funds have been used to help leverage additional public and private investments.

There are 30 jobs directly related to the Great Ships Initiative (GSI), including scientists, professional staff, researchers, contractors and students.

In addition, there are almost 2,000 jobs directly associated with operations of the Twin Ports and keeping maritime commerce moving, and thousands of other jobs in the region indirectly depend upon the Twin Ports.

Ballast discharge from commercial ships is a leading cause of invasive aquatic species in the Great Lakes and throughout the world.
Invasive species such as the zebra mussle, represent a serious threat not only to indigenous species, but they also threaten the local economies of Great Lakes communities that depend on sport fishing and maritime commerce for jobs.

“Unless we can solve the threat of invasive species,” warned Obey, “there will be more and more pressure to shut down commerce on the Great Lakes.”

Invasive species do not recognize state or national boundaries,” said Obey, “we need a comprehensive and unified response to this common threat. We simply can’t afford the risk of losing shipping in the Great Lakes because we are unable solve the invasive species problem.”