NEMWI Briefing: Federal Support for Effective Workforce and Economic Development Practices at Every Stage of the   

Business Life Cycle,  

February 25        

For more information and to RSVP, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

German Government to Tap NEMWI's Great Ships Initiative for Ballast Water Treatment Freshwater Performance Information  

NEMWI's Great Ships Initiative is part of the National Science Foundation International Independent Laboratory (NSF-IL) designated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to evaluate and test ballast water management systems (BWMS) for U.S. type approval. NSF IL can now also supply BWMS testing information to Germany's Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (Bundesamt f�r Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, BSH) based on International Maritime Organization Guidelines in the same set of tests. Formal collaboration between NSF IL and BSH will reduce private sector costs and approval time and allow ships to navigate to U.S. and international shipping destinations. USCG type approval of onboard BWMS is required for vessels entering and discharging treated ballast water in U.S waters to prevent the spread of non-native aquatic species in lakes, rivers and coastal waters. The national type approvals for Germany offered through BSH meet the IMO requirements for ships throughout the rest of the world. "The NSF International IL and partners have the technical and scientific capabilities necessary to provide high quality evaluations of ballast water management systems to both U.S. and international requirements, which will provide additional benefits to manufacturers and eventually ship owners who need approved systems in both U.S. and international waters," said Monika Breuch-Moritz, President of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.

For more information, contact Allegra Cangelosi, Sr. Policy Analyst - Environmental Projects, and the Principal Investigator of Great Ships Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.