Bill changes urged in fight against invasive species
Mike Miller
April 24, 2008
Madison-based Midwest Environmental Advocates has warned
congressional delegations from Wisconsin and Minnesota that this year's
Coast Guard Authorization Act is seriously flawed and could limit the
ability of states to fight invasive species. "As currently
drafted, the bill is objectionable because it could undermine two
crucial tools that state officials have to control the introduction of
aquatic invasive species from ships' ballast water," said the group,
which was joined by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. The
two groups said the bill, scheduled for a vote on the House floor this
week, would prevent states from adopting discharge standards that are
more stringent than those in the new federal law. "The bill, as
currently proposed, would limit a state's authority to protect its own
waters from invasive species," said Karen Schapiro, the executive
director of MEA. "We would like to see a bill that allows and
encourages states to set standards that are even more stringent than
the absolute minimums set forth in federal law, such as the Clean Water
Act," she said. The group is seeking two amendments to the bill
and warned that invasive species are "incredibly pervasive" in
Wisconsin waters. It says 1,655 bodies of water in the state have some
form of invasive animal or plant life. Midwest Environmental Advocates is a public interest environmental law center in downtown Madison.
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