John Sarbanes: “I am pleased to join as an original cosponsor of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, to address the serious…”

“I am pleased to join as an original cosponsor of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, to address the serious threat posed by nonindigenous aquatic species entering the U.S. waters from the exchange of ballast water. I want to thank and commend my colleague, Senator Glenn, for his leadership in crafting this very important legislation. The introduction of nonindigenous species through the exchange of ballast water is a serious national and international problem with potentially profound economic and environmental consequences. These invasive species, such as the zebra mussel, have already caused millions of dollars in damage to municipal and industrial water intake pipes, and valuable fisheries throughout the United States and Canada. By the turn of the century, damage to aquatic ecosystems and public and private infrastructure is expected to be in the billions of dollars from the zebra mussel alone. In the Chesapeake Bay, our Nation's largest estuary, the threat of these invading species is particularly acute due to the extensive release of ballast water from foreign ports.”