What does BW stand for?

About a third of the 186 invasive species in the Great Lakes are thought to have entered on oceangoing ships in the ballast water they take on for stabilization when carrying little or no cargo Zebra and quagga mussels from the Black Sea clog intake structures for municipal water systems and power plants.

The plan would establish a limit on the number of invasive organisms that can be released along with a vessel's ballast water while the ship is in port.

The groups hope to develop cost-effective ballast water treatment technologies and new ways to create "ballast-free" ships.

The Court Order In short, the District Court approved a motion jointly filed by EPA and the Shipping Industry Ballast Water Coalition, with no objection from the Northwest Environmental Advocates, to extend the time before it "vacates" EPA's longstanding vessel exemption from the requirement to have a permit for incidental discharges under the Clean Water Act until February 6, 2009.

Ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria.

Coast Guard and Transport Canada's ballast water exchange requirements (currently in place), the St.

waters--many introduced from ballast water discharged from ships--are believed to cost the nation nearly $8 billion.

says that he's virtually certain that transatlantic cargo ships picked up Hemimysis in ballast water in Europe.