Canadian Ballast Water Guidelines

The "Great Lakes Ballast Water Control Guidelines" states that all ships bound for river and/or Great Lakes ports west of 63 degrees west longitude must exchange their ballast at sea. The exchange must take place far enough from the coastline so that there will be few organisms of any kind in the exchanged ballast water. These guidelines apply to all vessels traveling toward the St. Lawrence River. A summary of the guidelines follow:

The following information should be provided to the Eastern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zones (ECAREG VTS Zones):

• Whether ballast water is being carried.
• If so, what the minimum ocean depth and location were where the ballast water was taken from.
• If the vessel's ballast water was not taken at an ocean depth of greater than 2,000 m, then the vessel will have to exchange the ballast water at sea at a depth of not less than 2,000 m.
• In exceptional circumstances and for those ships that have not left the North American continental shelf, the exchange must be made in internal Canadian waters within the Laurentian Channel and in water depths of over 300 m.
• Ballast water being carried in a bunker fuel tank or in the cargo tank may be discharged only if the concentration of pollutants falls within the limits set by Canadian legislation. Otherwise the discharge must only be made at a shore reception facility.
• When removing the ballast water, the pump should be run until it loses suction, thus assuring that the tank is empty before commencing to take on new ballast water.
• Sediment from the ballast tanks of foreign-bound ships is to be disposed of only in land- designated dump sites.
• All the data for the ballast water exchange should be documented in the ship's log book or in other appropriate documentation.

For more detailed information on Canada Voluntary Guidelines for control of Ballast Water, please contact either C.J. Wiley at 519 464-5127 (FAX NO. 519 464-5128) or Tom Morris at 613 991-3170.

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Ballast Water Regulations and Guidelines