Miscellaneous
Invasive species are particularly hard on Minnesota, wreaking havoc on outdoor recreation, pumping stations and other infrastructure, and costing the Great Lakes $200 million a year. But the EPA's proposed new ballast water standards, intended to limit the damage of invasive species but released in October to a mere 30 day public comment period, give lakers a free pass from having to treat ballast water. No, says Marc Smith, the policy director of the National Wildlife Federation, lakers aren't responsible for bringing invasive species to the Great Lakes; it's the salties that do that. But the lakers do move the invasives around.