TABLE 1 |.

Timeline of significant legislation and regulation in the United States regarding ballast water management.

Year	Author	Publication	Action
1990	USC	Law—Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA; 16 U.S.C. 4711 et seq.)	Established USCG regulatory jurisdiction over BW management
1993	USCG	Regulation—Ballast Water Management for Vessels Entering the Great Lakes (58 FR 18330)	Ships required to conduct BWE prior to entry into the Great Lakes
1994	USCG	Regulation—Ballast Water Management for Vessels Entering the Hudson River (59 FR 67632)	Ships required to conduct BWE prior to entry into the Hudson River
1996	USC	Law—National Invasive Species Act (NISA; 16 U.S.C. 4711 et seq.)	USCG required to establish national BWM guidelines and reporting requirements, evaluate industry participation, and report to Congress
1999	USCG	Regulation- Implementation of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (64 FR 26672)	Established voluntary BWM guidelines, including BWE; recordkeeping and reporting requirements
2002	USCG	Report to Congress on the Voluntary National Guidelines for Ballast Water Management (USCG-2002-13147 at http://www.regulations.gov)	Reported a finding of low participation by industry and poor reporting. Triggered NISA requirement that voluntary program become mandatory
2004	USCG:	Regulation—Penalties for Non-submission of Ballast Water Management Reports (69 FR 32864)	Instituted penalties for failure to submit required reports and maintain required records
2004	USCG:	Regulation—Mandatory Ballast Water Management Program for United States Waters (69 FR 44952)	Ships required to conduct a mid-ocean BWE, retain BW onboard, or use an approved alternative BWM method
2005	USCG:	Policy—Ballast Water Management for Vessels Entering the Great Lakes that Declare No Ballast Onboard (70 FR 51831)	Established BMP: ships entering the Great Lakes with empty BW tanks should conduct mid-ocean flush of “empty” tanks
2008	USEPA	Vessel General Permit (VGP; 73 FR 79473)	Established BWM requirements for ships under the Clean Water Act (CWA): USCG requirements plus BWE for ships engaged in Pacific nearshore voyages, and mid-ocean flush of “empty” BW tanks prior to entry into Great Lakes
2012	USCG	Standards for Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged in United States Waters (77 FR 17254)	Ships required to use approved BWMS to meet BW discharge standard, use public water supplies, or discharge to reception facilities; phase out BWE
2013	USEPA	VGP (78 FR 21938)	Applied USCG BW discharge standard to a broader suite of vessels than USCG rule
2018	USC	Vessel Incidental Discharge Act [VIDA; 33 U.S.C. 1322(p)]	Repealed existing USCG and EPA authorizations, effective upon publications of new ship discharge standards by EPA and compliance regulations by USCG

BWM, ballast water management; BWE, ballast water exchange; USC, United States Congress; USCG, United States Coast Guard; United States EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency; U.S.C, United States Code; FR, Federal Register.