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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Great Lakes are a tremendous value to Illinois
3 as an environmental and economic resource, both as the world's
4 largest body of fresh water and as a crucial international
5 shipping channel; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Aquatic invasive species have caused significant
7 damage to native environments and industrial operations in the
8 Great Lakes and around the world; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Current federal laws governing the introduction
10 of aquatic invasive species into United States waters via
11 ballast water of ocean-going ships and other sources are
12 inadequate; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Because of the detrimental effects of imposing
14 regional restrictions on an international shipping channel,
15 there is a need for federal regulation; and
 
16     WHEREAS, There is currently no nationally accepted
17 standard for ballast water quality nor any approved ballast
18 treatment technologies available to ship operators; therefore,
19 be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2 the we have a great concern for the protection of our
3 environmental and economic resources; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to
5 acknowledge the national urgency of this problem and move
6 quickly to enact federal legislation to establish a strong
7 ballast water regulatory program sufficient to prevent future
8 introduction of aquatic invasive species into all United States
9 waters; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That we declare our support for the efforts of
11 the United States Coast Guard and International Maritime
12 Organization to put in place an international ballast water
13 treatment and regulatory program; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That we declare our support for the "Great Ships
15 Initiative", a research and development project funded jointly
16 by the Illinois International Port Authority and other Great
17 Lakes ports, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the
18 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other federal
19 agencies with the goal of accelerating the development and
20 availability of ballast water treatment technology; and be it
21 further
 
22     RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to

 

 

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1 the President of the United States, the Illinois Congressional
2 delegation, federal agencies that regulate maritime
3 transportation, and the Great Lakes Commission.