URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Alien species INVADING our waterways by hitching rides on under-regulated ships! Tell the EPA to regulate ballast water to protect our oceans and waterways!
In the 1980s, invasive zebra mussels arrived in the Great Lakes. This tiny, shelled creature doesn’t look intimidating, but it has completely overtaken the Great Lakes in just a few decades, with devastating effects on people and the ecosystem.
Zebra mussels outcompete native species and remove crucial plankton that native fish need to survive. They clog and corrode pipelines, ship hulls, and other equipment important to local economies. And they’ve spread like the plague – an estimated 750 TRILLION zebra mussels dwell in the Great Lakes today.
The culprit of this tragic spread is ballast water – water held in ships for stability. Ballast water is often harvested in one part of the world and dumped in another, carrying invasive species with it.
The EPA has proposed new rules to supposedly PROTECT our oceans, Great Lakes, and waterways from ballast water -- but they aren’t strong enough! The window to submit comments is closing and we need your help, Friend. If just 1 of every 9 people reading this email takes action, we can FIGHT invasive species and keep our water safe! Please, Friend, sign the petition now!
Big vessels like cruise ships also create a lot of waste in the form of graywater – this is water collected from shower, baths, sinks, and laundry facilities. Think about all the gross stuff that gets flushed down the drain – bacteria, disease, soap oils, metals like lead and copper – all of that is often dumped into our oceans and waterways.
This pollution can wash onto shore and harm coastal communities. It also impacts the fish that many local economies rely on. We can’t let polluted graywater get recklessly dumped into the ocean. It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s still happening right now.
Our oceans are deteriorating every day we don’t act. They’re being overtaken with plastics, cruise ships are dumping polluted wastewater, and all sorts of boats are carrying invasive species. The EPA’s new proposed rules on ballast water need to be stronger and your action telling EPA to take a stand will make a HUGE difference right now. Will you take just 30 seconds and send your message to the EPA? Stand up to Big Cruise companies and sign your name!
Standing with you,
Marcie Keever
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth
