Great Lakes Ecology Protection Act
Last action on Jun 13, 2001Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Sci...
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Summary
Great Lakes Ecology Protection Act - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate and review regulations to prevent, to the maximum extent practicable, the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in the Great Lakes. Calls upon such regulations to require, among other things, that: (1) requirements on new vessel construction be included to ensure that vessels entering service after January 1, 2005, minimize the transfer of organisms; and (2) technologies and practices implemented under this Act are environmentally sound treatment methods for ballast water and ballast sediments that prevent and control infestations of aquatic nuisance species.
Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to award Invasive Species and Ballast Water Technologies Research Grants to U.S. post-secondary educational institutions to study the impact of invasive species on the environment of the Great Lakes region, and to develop technologies and treatment methods, including ballast water tank technology, designed to destroy or remove such species.