Peters Statement on Senate Failure of Ballast Water Discharge Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the statement below after the U.S. Senate failed to invoke cloture on the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act that included the controversial Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA):

“The spread of invasive species presents an existential threat to health of the Great Lakes, and I’m pleased to have worked with my Senate colleagues to stop the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act from moving forward. Setting weak environmental standards for ballast water in the Great Lakes, and preempting the State of Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority, would only put the Great Lakes at greater risk for devastation. As a strong supporter of the U.S. Coast Guard and its mission, I believe the Senate should debate and pass a clean Coast Guard reauthorization bill that is free from controversial measures like VIDA, which jeopardizes the health of the Great Lakes and prospects for bipartisan Coast Guard legislation.”