There must be better ways to waste taxpayers' money.
Leaving aside all other objections, and there are many, this notion ought to be shelved until the Seaway and its buds implements a 99.9999% effective method of preventing more invasions through ballast water. Not studies, not demonstrates, but implements.
The agency that operates the St. Lawrence Seaway hopes to reverse a 25-year decline in Great Lakes shipping by bringing more ocean freighters, so-called container ships, into the lakes.
The project, known as HWY H2O, could double the volume of freight currently shipped on the Great Lakes.
Environmentalists said allowing more ocean freighters into the St. Lawrence River could deliver more exotic species to the Great Lakes. Zebra mussels and other exotic species imported to the lakes over the past 40 years in freighter ballast water have hurt some fish populations, spawned toxic algae blooms and dramatically altered parts of the lakes' ecosystems.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1155464142302760.xml&coll=8
Posted by Dave at August 14, 2006 07:56 AM