Recently the Wisconsin D.N.R released their final Ballast Water Permit rules.

The new regulations deal with how commercial ships traveling on the great lakes treat their ballast water.

Many have theorized that a majority of invasive species in the lakes arrived here in the ballast of ocean going vessels.

The new regulations call for treatment that would kill off living organisms in ballast water to 1-hundred times the International Maritime Organization standards.

While the change goes into effect immediately for ships traveling both in the ocean and great lakes, ships that travel just in freshwater are exempt for 4 years, possibly saving the great lakes shipping industry.

Rep, Nick Milroy said "We wanted to make sure that we had permit put in place that would protect our great lakes that would also protect our shipping industry and that's what we have today."

The shipping industry is also on board with the new regulations.
Some in the industry worried that they would be too stringent and would drive shipping traffic to Minnesota.

Midwest Energy President Fred Shusterich said "When we're all doing business in a competitive economic environment you need parity, these vessels go from here to Detroit in to four of the five great lakes."

Wisconsin State Senator Bob Jauch says this all could have been avoided if the Federal Government would set a national standard for ballast water.

"The failure of the government to come up with a national plan has really left states to compete with each other in developing the appropriate ballast water discharge plans."

Wisconsin joins New York, Minnesota and Michigan in adopting these new regulations.