LANSING - Lt. Governor John D. Cherry Jr. today praised members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill that aims to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters.

Cherry - who also serves as chairman of the Great Lakes Commission - visited Washington D.C. in late February, urging members of Congress to pass a strong bill that would stop the dumping of untreated ballast water from ocean-going vessels into the Great Lakes.

"This bill requires the federal government to accelerate actions that protect our Great Lakes and other waters nationwide," Cherry said.  "I urge members of the U.S. Senate to join in crafting a solution to stop aquatic invasive species from using ballast water as a pathway to the Great Lakes.  As one of the few states to take strong independent action, I hope Congress will agree on a new federal law that Michigan and other states can strongly support."

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2830) by a vote of 395 to 7 on Thursday.

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