2011 Update: Ballast Water Treatment Technologies for Use in California Waters N. Dobroski, C. Scianni, and L. Takata Marine Invasive Species Program Marine Facilities Division September 2011

Nonindigenous Species (NIS) and Ballast Water  NIS are organisms transported by humans to a region where they do not occur historically  May have serious environmental, economic and/or human health impacts  Ballast water of ships is a major mechanism (vector) of species introductions in marine and aquatic habitats

California Coastal Ecosystems Protection Act of 2006  Required establishment of performance standards for the discharge of ballast water Completed October 2007 Completed October 2007 Limits for organism discharge by organism size class Limits for organism discharge by organism size class Graduated implementation schedule Graduated implementation schedule  Required reports assessing efficacy, availability and environmental impacts, including water quality, of currently available ballast water treatment technologies before each implementation date

Performance Standards Ballast Water Capacity of Vessel Standards apply to new vessels in this size class constructed on or after Standards apply to all other vessels in this size class beginning in < 1500 metric tons – 5000 metric tons > 5000 metric tons Organism Size ClassCaliforniaIMO Regulation D-2 Organisms greater than 50 µm in minimum dimension No detectable living organisms < 10 viable organisms per cubic meter Organisms 10 – 50 µm in minimum dimension < 0.01 living organisms per ml < 10 viable organisms per ml Living organisms less than 10 µm in minimum dimension Escherichia coli Intestinal enterococci Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae (O1 & O139) < 10 3 bacteria/100 ml < 10 4 viruses/100 ml < 126 cfu/100 ml < 33 cfu/100 ml < 1cfu/100 ml or < 1cfu/gram wet weight zoological samples < 250 cfu/100 ml < 100 cfu/100 ml < 1 cfu/100 ml or < 1 cfu/gram wet weight zooplankton samples California Implementation Schedule

Technology Assessment and Standards Implementation  Legislative reports completed December 2007 and January 2009  On January 1, 2010 standards implemented for new build vessels with a ballast water capacity less than or equal to 5000 metric tons New Build = Construction began on or after January 1, 2010 New Build = Construction began on or after January 1, 2010 Won’t see these vessels in CA until construction completed – 2011 or later Won’t see these vessels in CA until construction completed – 2011 or later  2010 legislative report assessed availability of systems for new build vessels with a ballast water capacity greater than 5000 metric tons Implementation date currently set as January 1, 2012 Implementation date currently set as January 1, 2012  Commission requested update of 2010 report by September 1, 2011

Challenges of Technology Assessment  Limited data, only covers small range of shipboard and environmental conditions  Technology testing programs not tailored to CA standards Issues with statistical confidence Issues with statistical confidence  Therefore staff evaluates systems for potential to comply Staff does not currently have practical ability to test systems and approve, or guarantee, compliance in CA waters. Staff does not currently have practical ability to test systems and approve, or guarantee, compliance in CA waters.  Testing/statistical challenges discussed in recent federal (EPA) and state (Great Lakes) technology assessment reports None of these reports evaluated systems for compliance with California standards None of these reports evaluated systems for compliance with California standards

2011 Update Findings  60 ballast water treatment systems reviewed  38 systems with data, 17 with “reliable data” Reliable = reports include methods, results, and testing as part of formal Type Approval process (i.e. not R&D) Reliable = reports include methods, results, and testing as part of formal Type Approval process (i.e. not R&D)  10 systems demonstrated potential to meet CA standards All commercially available All commercially available  5 systems show potential to meet standards under more rigorous criteria – meet standards more than 50% time over multiple tests One system met CA standards 100% time during shipboard tests One system met CA standards 100% time during shipboard tests One system met CA standards 100% during shipboard tests, but did not test for total bacteria One system met CA standards 100% during shipboard tests, but did not test for total bacteria System vendor willing to self-certify to CA standardsSystem vendor willing to self-certify to CA standards

Implementation of Standards: Next Steps  Working with Technical Advisory Panel Established by PRC Section Established by PRC Section  Options discussed with panel Change standards?, BAT? Compliance protocols? Change standards?, BAT? Compliance protocols?  Decision to establish compliance verification protocols Adopt regulations to specify methods to collect BW samples and analyze to assess vessel discharge compliance Adopt regulations to specify methods to collect BW samples and analyze to assess vessel discharge compliance Provide tech vendors/vessel owners with methods to verify systems meet CA standards Provide tech vendors/vessel owners with methods to verify systems meet CA standards Met with technical advisory panel in July and August Met with technical advisory panel in July and August Propose regulations by late-fall 2011, implementation mid-2012 Propose regulations by late-fall 2011, implementation mid-2012

Conclusions  2011 update augments 2010 legislative report Presents latest data on system performance Presents latest data on system performance  Testing methodologies not specific tailored to CA standards Challenges achieving high levels statistical certainty Challenges achieving high levels statistical certainty  Based on best available info, technologies advancing - 10 show potential to meet CA standards 10 show potential to meet CA standards 5 met standards more than 50% time 5 met standards more than 50% time 1 met standards 100% on shipboard evaluations 1 met standards 100% on shipboard evaluations  Moving forward with implementation of standards, focus on development of compliance verification protocols  CA standards are technology forcing – requires adaptive management during initial implementation

Questions? Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center