Attorney General Press Release
July14, 2004
DETROIT – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced today that he is
joining a regional effort to halt the spread of harmful aquatic nuisance species
into the Great Lakes from oceangoing commercial ships.
Attorney General Cox, along with other Attorneys General from the Great Lakes
region, will file an amicus brief in federal district court in San Francisco
later this week to compel the regulation of ballast water discharge from
oceangoing ships under the Clean Water Act. Ballast water is one of the primary
methods by which aquatic nuisance species enter the Great Lakes.
"The Great Lakes are Michigan’s greatest treasure, and aquatic nuisance
species cause significant harm to this delicate ecosystem," Cox said.
"By joining with other states in the region to end the introduction of
harmful species into the Great Lakes, we are fighting to safeguard our
environment today and for future generations."
Sam Washington, Executive Director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs,
expressed his organization’s support of Attorney General Cox’s efforts.
"MUCC strongly applauds the action of the Attorney General in bringing the
power of the State of Michigan to bear on the problem of exotic species, which
enter the Great Lakes through ballast water," Washington said.
When large oceangoing vessels enter the Great Lakes and load their cargo, they
discharge ballast water carried from other ports. This water may contain aquatic
nuisance species, which wreak havoc on the ecosystem and reproduce rapidly in
the absence of natural predators and diseases in their new environment.
Aquatic nuisance species such as the zebra mussel, sea lamprey, ruffe and goby
not only threaten the Great Lakes, but also pose a significant economic threat
to the State of Michigan. Commercial and recreational fishing, boating, beaches,
tourism and facilities such as power plants that use water from the Great Lakes
all suffer from the effects of these species.
The Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration estimated that controlling zebra mussels and sea
lampreys – two of the most harmful aquatic nuisance species – costs $45
million each year.
Later this week, several Attorneys General will file the amicus brief in support
of legal action brought by several environmental groups seeking to have federal
agencies provide support in limiting ballast water discharges from the Clean
Water Act.
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For further
information contact: Stu Sandler
517-373-8060 (Office)
State of Michigan, Department of Attorney General