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Ballast Water Facts

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Ballast water dumped by ships threatens wildlife and causes expensive problems
  • Ballast water is probably the single most important pathway for foreign species invading the U.S. (1)
  • Over 3,000 marine species travel around the world in ship ballast water every day.(2)
  • A modern cargo ship can carry from 100 thousand to 10 million gallons or more of ballast water. (3)
  • Every minute, 40,000 gallons of foreign ballast water are dumped into U.S. waters (1). That’s 21 billion tons every year (4).
  • Zebra mussels were probably introduced to the Great Lakes from Europe in ballast water. These mussels grow in large colonies that clog water intake pipes, water filtration systems and electric generating plants. It is estimated that they cause $5 billion/yr in damages to these facilities and associated control  costs.(5)

 

Washington State Ballast Water Facts

  • In one 12 month time period (2002 – 2003) 4,610 ships docked in Washington state ports.
    - 60% discharged ballast water
    - 31% provided incomplete data regarding ballast water
    - 26% exchanged and discharged their ballast water
    - 3% (or 153 vessels) discharged unexchanged, untreated  ballast water, all together discharging 382 million gallons of potentially harmful ballast water
  • In a separate study between Jan-02 and Nov-03 WDFW found that many exchanges of ballast water were not completed properly, and that many ship operators knew they had violated the law.(6)
    - 29% of vessels discharged improperly exchanged ballast water
    - 24% of ship operators knowingly violated the law in some way.
  •  According to Washington Department of Fish and  Wildlife:(7)
    - Only 34% of vessels in the Columbia River were in full compliance with Washington State ballast water law.
    - Only 41% of vessels in Puget Sound and Gig Harbor were in full compliance with the law. 
  • Integrated Tug Barges (ITB's) and Articulated Tug  Barges (ATB's) have the worst levels of  compliance.(7)  Most of these vessels carry petroleum products.
  •  In July 2004, WDFW began an inspection and boarding program to increase compliance and assess the risk of ballast water invasions in Washington  waters.


For more facts and information, please see State Environmental Resource Center's (SERC) website.

Sources:

(1) State Environmental Resource Center.

(2) Providence College. Political Science Dept. “Ballast Water & Exotic Species.” 3 June 2003.

(3) US Environmental Protection Agency.  "Oceans, Coast and Estuaries. 

(4) Raines, Ben. “Invasive Species, Disease Share Berths in Ship Ballast.” Newhouse News Service, 2 February 2002. 4 June 2003

(5) Khalanski M. 1997 quoted in Pimental et al 2000. 

(6) Aquatic Nuisance Species Committee. Report to the 2004 Washington State Legislature.  December 2004.

(7) Smith, Scott.  Presentation to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Committee.  April 2004.
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