A new era of aquatic invasive species prevention and control
The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the acceptance of nine ballast water treatment systems as Alternate Management Systems (AMS) in compliance with the service’s March 2012 final rule for Standards for Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. waters.
AMS acceptance by the Coast Guard is a temporary designation given to a ballast water treatment system approved by a foreign administration. Vessel operators may use an AMS to manage their ballast water discharges in lieu of ballast water exchange, while the treatment system undergoes approval testing to Coast Guard standards.
An AMS may be used to meet the Coast Guard ballast water treatment requirements for up to five years after the ship’s ballast water discharge standard compliance date specified in the final rule. This five-year timeframe allows for the completion of required land-based and shipboard testing.
“With these AMS acceptances, we move into a new era of aquatic invasive species prevention and control,” said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph A. Servidio, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. “Compared with the existing requirement for mid-ocean ballast water exchange, these technological solutions reduce the ballast water exchange safety concerns for mariners and provide greater protection for the marine environment.”
“This is an important first step in making Coast Guard and foreign approved ballast water treatment systems available for the global shipping industry,” said Servido. “The Coast Guard AMS program will allow ship owners and operators to install a ballast water treatment system and use it in U.S. waters while it undergoes approval testing.”
The Coast Guard continues to review applications for AMS acceptance and will announce further determinations.
The ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) listed in the table below have been accepted for use in U.S. waters as Alternate Management Systems (AMS). Use of a BWTS as an AMS is subject to the general and specific conditions and requirements listed in the AMS acceptance letter issued to the system’s manufacturer
| Manufacturer | Model Name | Model Number(s) |
Acceptance Date |
| Alfa Laval Tumba AB | PureBallast | Models 250 to 2500 | 15 April 2013 |
| Alfa Laval Tumba AB | PureBallast | Models 2.0 and 2.0Ex | 15 April 2013 |
| Ecochlor Inc. | Ecochlor | Series 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 | 15 April 2013 |
| Hyde | Guardian | HG-60, -100, -150, -200, -250, -300, -400, -450, -500, -600, -700, -800, -900, -1000, -1250, -1350, -1400, -1488, -1600, -2000, -2500, -2975, -4000, -5000, and -6000 | 15 April 2013 |
| NK Company, Ltd | BlueBallast | NK-O3-010, -015, -030, -040, -050, -075, -100, -150, -200, -250, -300, and -400 | 15 April 2013 |
| Qingdao Headway Technology Company, Ltd. | OceanGuardTM | OceanGuardTM | 15 April 2013 |
| RWO GmbH Marine Water Technology, Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies | CleanBallast | nBallast? -150, -200, -250, -300, -350, -400, -450, -500, -500-1, -750, -1000, -1250, -1500, -1750, -2000, -2250, -2500, -2750, -3000, -3250, -3500, and -3750 | 15 April 2013 |
| Severn Trent De Nora, LLC | BalPure | Models BP-500, -675, -1000, -2000, -2650, -3000, -4000, and -5000 | 15 April 2013 |
| SunRui | BalClor | BC-300 and BC-1000 | 15 April 2013 |
For information on how to obtain an AMS acceptance from the Coast Guard and for a complete list of ballast water management systems that have been accepted for use as an AMS, please visit the Coast Guard’s Environmental Standards Division’s website at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg522/cg5224/bwm.asp.
Source: USCG
