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from ballast water tanks of ocean-going vessels. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008 (H.R.
2830) passed by a vote of 395 to 7.
The legislation requires installation of technology meeting current International Maritime Organization
ballast discharge standards by as early as next year. Ships would then be required to begin installing
treatment equipment in 2012 to meet a more rigorous standard that is one hundred times more
stringent than the international standard.
Citing the lack of clarification on how the ballast water title applies to recreational vessels among its
concerns, the Bush administration has threatened to veto the bill. The administration's main
objection however, was not in Title V, but particular to Coast Guard requirements to protect liquefied
natural gas terminals and vessels.
Strong bipartisan support for the legislation followed the adoption of two essential amendments. The
first, a manager's amendment, improves transparency by requiring that regulated ships submit
records of their actions to the Secretary of Transportation on a monthly basis, and ensures that ships
claiming no ballast water on board are subject to treatment requirements when the bill comes into
effect.
A second amendment by Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) gives the Coast Guard the authority to take emergency
response measures if vessels operating exclusively within the Great Lakes present the risk of
spreading invasive species or infectious diseases.
MPCA ordered to regulate ballast issue.
On April 22, Ramsey County district court Judge Kathleen Gearin ruled that the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency must enforce both the federal Clean Water Act and state statutes that should be in
place by October 1st. Her action was a response to the a law suit brought by the Minnesota Center for
Environmental Advocacy.
Prior to Judge Gearin's ruling the MPCA had issued a draft permit plan to require ships to have
discharge permits by September and start treatment of ballast water by 2013. The Environmental
Advocacy group has asked for immediate imple¬mentation of the regulations. SLSA President
LeRoger Lind commented on the judge's directive.
"We welcome the MPCA efforts to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species into Minnesota's waters
of Lake Superior. We are particularly concerned about the current threat of viral hemorrhagic
septicemia fish virus into the Lake from discharge by Salties and Lakers (The document of concern
can be viewed on the MPCA website under Vessel Discharge Permits.)
In general, the timing of initial permitting and the discharge limits specified in the draft do not reflect
response sufficient to prevent this and other AIS from entering Lake Superior. Statutes do not limit
MPCA enforcement options to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System—NPDES--
permits.
Temporary, gap-filling measures will be required to effectively stem this tide. Tributary streams and
inland lakes in Minnesota have already been infected with spiny waterfleas and zebra mussels. We
need no more proof of potential harm.
Concerning applicability, the discharge standards should apply to any vessel passing through the
Soo Locks with ballast water. Excluding ships of less than 50 meters length and 8 cubic meters
ballast capacity would allow each ship to discharge thousands of viable and potentially infected
organisms from each ship. Discharge standards for large ships included in the draft may reflect
current Federal limits but certainly should not be retained in a Minnesota NPDES permit for ships
discharging ballast water.
The discharge standard for vectors such as round gobies known to be carriers of the VHS and other
pathogens must be "zero viable organisms" discharged. This standard is- attainable at a relatively
low cost through the use of chemicals or physical means that should be considered as temporary
solutions if not as permanent ones.
We found loopholes that must be closed. Discharge from on-shore ballast water treatment systems
must conform to equivalent standards and have NPDES permits. Another loophole is that this permit
would automatically give a lower discharge control priority to ballast water than to discharges
controlled by other Federal Standards.
The effluent limitation proposed for organisms over 50 microns in length allows over 3 million viable
organisms to be discharged into the Duluth harbor alone per day (10 Lakers at 10 million gallons
ballast capacity each). This would not provide effective control of any aquatic invasive species.
Generally speaking, pollution control compliance always gravitates to minimum standards.
Therefore, this permit must contain effluent standards that eliminate the discharge of living aquatic
invasive species in ship's ballast water into Minnesota waters."
Upcoming dates to remember!
• SLSA annual meeting: August 9th in the Trail Head building-9 AM...Split Rock State Park. All
members are invited... come and bring an item for the pot luck luncheon.
• October 26-28-Minnesota Invasive species conference in Dututh.
The first annual conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging
information on aquatic species. The focus is to strengthen awareness of the problem at the local
level.
WLSSD to Host Collection Event for Unwanted Medication — by Deb Ortman
Duluth, MN - The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District will host free collection events for unwanted
or expired medications at its regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
Studies around the United States have found hormones and other pharmaceutical substances in
rivers and streams. When medication is flushed, it travels to wastewater treatment plants. Although
some medicines break down in treatment, others persist and are discharged into waterways, in the
Duluth region, residual medicines can enter the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. Pharmaceutical
substances can adversely affect fish and other aquatic life.
Two previous medication collection events held at WLSSD brought in nearly 600 pounds of unwanted
pills and other medication, filling five 55 gallon barrels.
"The first two collection events confirmed that residents are looking for a safe, easy way to dispose of
medications," said Gina Temple-Rhodes, WLSSD Environmental Program Coordinator. "Residents
dispose of medications for various reasons. Medication may be expired or a prescription changed.
Some residents bring bags full of medicine. "Unwanted medication should not be flushed or poured
down the drain," said WLSSD Executive Director Kurt N.W. Soderberg. "Although many of us were
taught to dispose of medicines this way, we now know that flushing them is not a good idea."
Wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove pharmaceutical substances from
wastewater," WLSSD can only accept medication during special events due to US drug laws. WLSSD
employs pharmacists and law enforcement officers for the special event to ensure safe and proper
sorting and disposal of all medications.
Residents who are unable to attend a disposal event may dispose of unwanted medications in the
garbage after properly preparing the medication per Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
recommendations
To get information on the next date and time for disposal of medications at WLSSD call 218-
722-3336.
Minnesota Invasive Species Conference 2008:
Acting Locally to Protect Our Legendary Lands and Waters October 26-28, 2008 in Duluth
The first annual statewide conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging
information on aquatic and terrestrial invasive species topics. The focus is to strengthen awareness
of invasive species issues at the local level, as well as act locally on prevention and management
activities.
Expected audiences include researchers, land managers, natural resource professionals, university
personnel, landscapers, nursery, agricultural or forestry employees, environmental specialists, lake
association members, and governmental agencies.
When Lake Superior water levels were too high!
Yes. There was a time a half-half-century ago when we had more water than we knew what to do with.
In June of 1951 the US chair¬man of the International Joint Commission, former Senator A.O. Stanley
came to Duluth to look into the high water that was lapping at the base of the grain elevators and
causing damage to the foundation of the structures. Alleviating the problem by allowing greater
outflow was easy—adding more water is far more difficult and largely in the hands of Mother Nature.
GORDIAN WORMS
Among the odd, little known Lake Superior creatures is this strange one.
It's a member of the nematode family commonly referred to as the horsehair worm. The resemblance
is considerable in that, if laid next to a strand from the tail of a horse, one would think at first glance
that they are nearly identical. It's as long as six feet and as thin as horse hair. Usually found in a
tangled mass with others of its kind, it swims in a motion described as undulating.
Little or nothing is yet known about the life cycle of the worm in Lake Superior (and in inland lakes and
wetlands.) In the larval stage it may live in the gut of a cricket or grasshopper. In its adult stage it eats
nothing. It has an intestinal system, but it doesn't use it! There's no need to fear them, they are
harmless to humans: Within 24 hours after hatching, the larva bores into shoreline vegetation.
Invasive invertebrates in Lake Superior include clams, snails, mussels, crayfish, waterfleas, worms,
amoeba and amphipods.
Native fish still troubled
While the number of alien aquatic species in Lake Superior continues to rise, indigenous fish suffer
from the plethora of invasive types.
Among the eighteen fish listed as non-native, seven are welcomed by "sports" anglers.
These include: steelhead rainbow trout, brown trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon and
smelt.
Minnesota and Wisconsin have made largely fruitless efforts to bring back viable numbers of coaster
brook trout. Despite the fact that there's some evidence* that steelheads could be a factor preventing
a comeback of the "coasters", we've been unable to find serious research on this matter.
Conversely, the Minnesota DNR spends enormous numbers of dollars in raising and planting the
steelheads and other non-native sports fish.
In past issues we noted that the DNR has destroyed waterfalls on eight North Shore rivers to allow
steelheads to access inland habitat.
This agency also destroys beaver lodges and dams and thus drains valuable wetlands in the
process to aid the non-native fish.
*Officials of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park rid its rivers of the steelheads to prevent its predation on their
native brook trout.
CELEBRATE LAKE SUPERIOR DAY
July 20 has been designated as the date to celebrate the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior.
SLSA has been invited by Split Rock State State Park to help with a presentation of story of the lake —
its key role as an essential element in the high quality of life we enjoy and strive to maintain.
Minnesota Sea Grant is sharing its collection of invasive species as an integral part of our display.
Recent history as well as illustrations depicting pre-historic life will be featured and explained by
board members from 10 AM to 4PM.
Below is a sample of one of our features.
April showers brought us no flowers -
- but we did get enough rain and snow melt to raise the Lake Superior level by six inches! Its still eight
inches below normal. Climatologists are uncertain whether the improved conditions will hold.
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/sup_lvl.gif
Stealing nuggets from Silver Islet
A tiny speck of an island in Lake Superior, barely inside the Canadian border with Minnesota, held a
fortune in ore that was 99% pure silver. Miners illegally tried to increase their pay by secretly tying
boulders of ore to support logs and pushing them toward shore for recovery when off duty.
The silver-laden logs are believed to have drifted down the North Shore before dropping the chunks of
silver. It's likely that some lie there for the picking today. Others may have fallen into deep water and
will never be found.
Update on the never ending barrel story.
The Minnesota Department of Health, in response to public pressure, provided us with a 17 page
report titled "Health Consultation" prepared by Toxicologist Carl Herbrandson. Ph.D While trying to
justify the decisions of MHD and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency not to recover any of the
drums or do sediment testing around the barrels, he states: "The contents of each barrel have never
been documented. Therefore, it is doubtful that we will even know all of the items and chemicals in
these barrels."
We credit him with a remarkably candid conclusion, "MHD has not evaluated the potential risk to the
environment, or damages to natural resources incurred by barrel dumping."
Your SLSA Board Members
LeRoger Lind (Pres.) Nancy Paisley, Glenn Maxham (VP), Will Munger, Jr., Deb Ortman, Alice Pierce
(Treas.), Arnold Overby, Karen Ritchie, Todd Ronning, Mary Jo Keefe (Twin Cities rep.), Alison Contos-
Member emeritus.
SLSA annual membership still only $5.00 per person. Your membership renewal date appears on
your newsletter mailing label.
2830) passed by a vote of 395 to 7.
The legislation requires installation of technology meeting current International Maritime Organization
ballast discharge standards by as early as next year. Ships would then be required to begin installing
treatment equipment in 2012 to meet a more rigorous standard that is one hundred times more
stringent than the international standard.
Citing the lack of clarification on how the ballast water title applies to recreational vessels among its
concerns, the Bush administration has threatened to veto the bill. The administration's main
objection however, was not in Title V, but particular to Coast Guard requirements to protect liquefied
natural gas terminals and vessels.
Strong bipartisan support for the legislation followed the adoption of two essential amendments. The
first, a manager's amendment, improves transparency by requiring that regulated ships submit
records of their actions to the Secretary of Transportation on a monthly basis, and ensures that ships
claiming no ballast water on board are subject to treatment requirements when the bill comes into
effect.
A second amendment by Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) gives the Coast Guard the authority to take emergency
response measures if vessels operating exclusively within the Great Lakes present the risk of
spreading invasive species or infectious diseases.
MPCA ordered to regulate ballast issue.
On April 22, Ramsey County district court Judge Kathleen Gearin ruled that the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency must enforce both the federal Clean Water Act and state statutes that should be in
place by October 1st. Her action was a response to the a law suit brought by the Minnesota Center for
Environmental Advocacy.
Prior to Judge Gearin's ruling the MPCA had issued a draft permit plan to require ships to have
discharge permits by September and start treatment of ballast water by 2013. The Environmental
Advocacy group has asked for immediate imple¬mentation of the regulations. SLSA President
LeRoger Lind commented on the judge's directive.
"We welcome the MPCA efforts to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species into Minnesota's waters
of Lake Superior. We are particularly concerned about the current threat of viral hemorrhagic
septicemia fish virus into the Lake from discharge by Salties and Lakers (The document of concern
can be viewed on the MPCA website under Vessel Discharge Permits.)
In general, the timing of initial permitting and the discharge limits specified in the draft do not reflect
response sufficient to prevent this and other AIS from entering Lake Superior. Statutes do not limit
MPCA enforcement options to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System—NPDES--
permits.
Temporary, gap-filling measures will be required to effectively stem this tide. Tributary streams and
inland lakes in Minnesota have already been infected with spiny waterfleas and zebra mussels. We
need no more proof of potential harm.
Concerning applicability, the discharge standards should apply to any vessel passing through the
Soo Locks with ballast water. Excluding ships of less than 50 meters length and 8 cubic meters
ballast capacity would allow each ship to discharge thousands of viable and potentially infected
organisms from each ship. Discharge standards for large ships included in the draft may reflect
current Federal limits but certainly should not be retained in a Minnesota NPDES permit for ships
discharging ballast water.
The discharge standard for vectors such as round gobies known to be carriers of the VHS and other
pathogens must be "zero viable organisms" discharged. This standard is- attainable at a relatively
low cost through the use of chemicals or physical means that should be considered as temporary
solutions if not as permanent ones.
We found loopholes that must be closed. Discharge from on-shore ballast water treatment systems
must conform to equivalent standards and have NPDES permits. Another loophole is that this permit
would automatically give a lower discharge control priority to ballast water than to discharges
controlled by other Federal Standards.
The effluent limitation proposed for organisms over 50 microns in length allows over 3 million viable
organisms to be discharged into the Duluth harbor alone per day (10 Lakers at 10 million gallons
ballast capacity each). This would not provide effective control of any aquatic invasive species.
Generally speaking, pollution control compliance always gravitates to minimum standards.
Therefore, this permit must contain effluent standards that eliminate the discharge of living aquatic
invasive species in ship's ballast water into Minnesota waters."
Upcoming dates to remember!
• SLSA annual meeting: August 9th in the Trail Head building-9 AM...Split Rock State Park. All
members are invited... come and bring an item for the pot luck luncheon.
• October 26-28-Minnesota Invasive species conference in Dututh.
The first annual conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging
information on aquatic species. The focus is to strengthen awareness of the problem at the local
level.
WLSSD to Host Collection Event for Unwanted Medication — by Deb Ortman
Duluth, MN - The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District will host free collection events for unwanted
or expired medications at its regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
Studies around the United States have found hormones and other pharmaceutical substances in
rivers and streams. When medication is flushed, it travels to wastewater treatment plants. Although
some medicines break down in treatment, others persist and are discharged into waterways, in the
Duluth region, residual medicines can enter the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. Pharmaceutical
substances can adversely affect fish and other aquatic life.
Two previous medication collection events held at WLSSD brought in nearly 600 pounds of unwanted
pills and other medication, filling five 55 gallon barrels.
"The first two collection events confirmed that residents are looking for a safe, easy way to dispose of
medications," said Gina Temple-Rhodes, WLSSD Environmental Program Coordinator. "Residents
dispose of medications for various reasons. Medication may be expired or a prescription changed.
Some residents bring bags full of medicine. "Unwanted medication should not be flushed or poured
down the drain," said WLSSD Executive Director Kurt N.W. Soderberg. "Although many of us were
taught to dispose of medicines this way, we now know that flushing them is not a good idea."
Wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove pharmaceutical substances from
wastewater," WLSSD can only accept medication during special events due to US drug laws. WLSSD
employs pharmacists and law enforcement officers for the special event to ensure safe and proper
sorting and disposal of all medications.
Residents who are unable to attend a disposal event may dispose of unwanted medications in the
garbage after properly preparing the medication per Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
recommendations
To get information on the next date and time for disposal of medications at WLSSD call 218-
722-3336.
Minnesota Invasive Species Conference 2008:
Acting Locally to Protect Our Legendary Lands and Waters October 26-28, 2008 in Duluth
The first annual statewide conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging
information on aquatic and terrestrial invasive species topics. The focus is to strengthen awareness
of invasive species issues at the local level, as well as act locally on prevention and management
activities.
Expected audiences include researchers, land managers, natural resource professionals, university
personnel, landscapers, nursery, agricultural or forestry employees, environmental specialists, lake
association members, and governmental agencies.
When Lake Superior water levels were too high!
Yes. There was a time a half-half-century ago when we had more water than we knew what to do with.
In June of 1951 the US chair¬man of the International Joint Commission, former Senator A.O. Stanley
came to Duluth to look into the high water that was lapping at the base of the grain elevators and
causing damage to the foundation of the structures. Alleviating the problem by allowing greater
outflow was easy—adding more water is far more difficult and largely in the hands of Mother Nature.
GORDIAN WORMS
Among the odd, little known Lake Superior creatures is this strange one.
It's a member of the nematode family commonly referred to as the horsehair worm. The resemblance
is considerable in that, if laid next to a strand from the tail of a horse, one would think at first glance
that they are nearly identical. It's as long as six feet and as thin as horse hair. Usually found in a
tangled mass with others of its kind, it swims in a motion described as undulating.
Little or nothing is yet known about the life cycle of the worm in Lake Superior (and in inland lakes and
wetlands.) In the larval stage it may live in the gut of a cricket or grasshopper. In its adult stage it eats
nothing. It has an intestinal system, but it doesn't use it! There's no need to fear them, they are
harmless to humans: Within 24 hours after hatching, the larva bores into shoreline vegetation.
Invasive invertebrates in Lake Superior include clams, snails, mussels, crayfish, waterfleas, worms,
amoeba and amphipods.
Native fish still troubled
While the number of alien aquatic species in Lake Superior continues to rise, indigenous fish suffer
from the plethora of invasive types.
Among the eighteen fish listed as non-native, seven are welcomed by "sports" anglers.
These include: steelhead rainbow trout, brown trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon and
smelt.
Minnesota and Wisconsin have made largely fruitless efforts to bring back viable numbers of coaster
brook trout. Despite the fact that there's some evidence* that steelheads could be a factor preventing
a comeback of the "coasters", we've been unable to find serious research on this matter.
Conversely, the Minnesota DNR spends enormous numbers of dollars in raising and planting the
steelheads and other non-native sports fish.
In past issues we noted that the DNR has destroyed waterfalls on eight North Shore rivers to allow
steelheads to access inland habitat.
This agency also destroys beaver lodges and dams and thus drains valuable wetlands in the
process to aid the non-native fish.
*Officials of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park rid its rivers of the steelheads to prevent its predation on their
native brook trout.
CELEBRATE LAKE SUPERIOR DAY
July 20 has been designated as the date to celebrate the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior.
SLSA has been invited by Split Rock State State Park to help with a presentation of story of the lake —
its key role as an essential element in the high quality of life we enjoy and strive to maintain.
Minnesota Sea Grant is sharing its collection of invasive species as an integral part of our display.
Recent history as well as illustrations depicting pre-historic life will be featured and explained by
board members from 10 AM to 4PM.
Below is a sample of one of our features.
April showers brought us no flowers -
- but we did get enough rain and snow melt to raise the Lake Superior level by six inches! Its still eight
inches below normal. Climatologists are uncertain whether the improved conditions will hold.
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/sup_lvl.gif
Stealing nuggets from Silver Islet
A tiny speck of an island in Lake Superior, barely inside the Canadian border with Minnesota, held a
fortune in ore that was 99% pure silver. Miners illegally tried to increase their pay by secretly tying
boulders of ore to support logs and pushing them toward shore for recovery when off duty.
The silver-laden logs are believed to have drifted down the North Shore before dropping the chunks of
silver. It's likely that some lie there for the picking today. Others may have fallen into deep water and
will never be found.
Update on the never ending barrel story.
The Minnesota Department of Health, in response to public pressure, provided us with a 17 page
report titled "Health Consultation" prepared by Toxicologist Carl Herbrandson. Ph.D While trying to
justify the decisions of MHD and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency not to recover any of the
drums or do sediment testing around the barrels, he states: "The contents of each barrel have never
been documented. Therefore, it is doubtful that we will even know all of the items and chemicals in
these barrels."
We credit him with a remarkably candid conclusion, "MHD has not evaluated the potential risk to the
environment, or damages to natural resources incurred by barrel dumping."
Your SLSA Board Members
LeRoger Lind (Pres.) Nancy Paisley, Glenn Maxham (VP), Will Munger, Jr., Deb Ortman, Alice Pierce
(Treas.), Arnold Overby, Karen Ritchie, Todd Ronning, Mary Jo Keefe (Twin Cities rep.), Alison Contos-
Member emeritus.
SLSA annual membership still only $5.00 per person. Your membership renewal date appears on
your newsletter mailing label.