Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) stopped in Superior Monday to take a look at the work being done at the Ballast Water Treatment Facility located at Montreal Pier along Highway 2.

Officially known as the Great Ships Initiative (GSI), this facility is the only fresh water ballast water treatment facility in the world.

Obey secured the funding in the 2005 federal budget to establish the treatment facility and has since helped secure more than $3 million in federal funds.

The federal funds have been used to help leverage additional public and private investments.

There are 30 jobs directly related to the Great Ships Initiative (GSI), including scientists, professional staff, researchers, contractors and students.

In addition, there are almost 2,000 jobs directly associated with operations of the Twin Ports and keeping maritime commerce moving, and thousands of other jobs in the region indirectly depend upon the Twin Ports.

Obey received an update on continuing efforts to test and develop effective ballast water treatment technology aimed at eliminating the threat of invasive species entering the Great Lakes through ballast water.

Ballast discharge from commercial ships is a leading cause of invasive aquatic species in the Great Lakes and throughout the world.

Invasive species such as the zebra mussle, represent a serious threat not only to indigenous species, but they also threaten the local economies of Great Lakes communities that depend on sport fishing and maritime commerce for jobs.

“Unless we can solve the threat of invasive species,” warned Obey, “there will be more and more pressure to shut down commerce on the Great Lakes.”

Invasive species do not recognize state or national boundaries,” said Obey, “we need a comprehensive and unified response to this common threat. We simply can’t afford the risk of losing shipping in the Great Lakes because we are unable solve the invasive species problem.”

In addition to the treatment facility, Obey as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, was able to help secure a comprehensive $475 million appropriation to the Interior Department’s budget in a bill that passed the House recently, for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The initiative, supported by President Obama, is aimed at helping to clean up and restore the health of the Great Lakes.

The funding will be used for high priority restoration projects addressing: toxic substances, invasive species, near shore health and non-point pollution, and habitat and wildlife monitoring.

GSI is managed by the Northeast-Midwest Institute in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Superior, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the City of Superior, Great Lakes ports, the Federal Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. and Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway agencies, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).