The state of California (United States) has passed an Assembly Bill that grants the delay of its interim ballast water discharge standards from 1 January 2016 by four years to 1 January 2020 and the implementation date of its final performance standard (zero detectable living organisms) by ten years to 1 January 2030.
Which Assembly Bill Was Approved?
California Assembly Bill No.1312 was approved by the state’s governor on 8 October, 2015 to amend the state’s Marine Invasive Species Act.
What Is The Marine Species Act?
It is the Marine Invasive Species Act that requires the State Lands Commission to adopt regulations governing ballast water management practices for vessels arriving at a California port from a port outside of the Pacific Coast Region.
The Act imposes specified requirements on the master, owner, operator, or person in charge of one those vessels to minimise the uptake and release of nonindigenous species.
Who Does the Approved Bill Apply To?
It applies to newbuilds constructed on or after 1 January 2020 from their first arrival in California after delivery and to existing vessels from their first scheduled drydocking on or after that date.
What Does The New Approved Bill Enforce?
This bill now requires the State Lands Commission to adopt regulations that require an owner or operator of a vessel carrying, or capable of carrying, ballast water that operates in the waters of the state to comply with that interim performance standard either upon first arrival at a California port for new vessels constructed on or after January 1, 2020, or as of the first scheduled drydocking on or after January 1, 2020, for all other vessels, as applicable, and to meet the final performance standard for the discharge of ballast water of zero detectable living organisms for all organism size classes by January 1, 2030.
A further amendment is one that requires California’s State Lands Commission’s, in coordination with the United States Coast Guard, to not only take samples of ballast water from at least 25% of the arriving vessels subject to the act, but also to sample biofouling and inspect the vessels from which it takes samples.
Why Were These Ballast Water Standard Delays Deemed Essential?
During the Bill’s development, the extended 2020 deadline was deemed essential in order to enable further research and development of treatment technologies that can meet California’s standards.
Also, according to the California State Lands Commission, the delay would allow give them the necessary time to develop guidance on how conform to these regulations.
