NSF International Gains United States Coast Guard Acceptance as Independent Laboratory for Ballast Water Management System Testing

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NSF International (NSF), an independent public health organization, has become the first Independent Laboratory (IL) accepted by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to evaluate and test technologies designed to treat ballast water on ships in order to prevent the spread of non-native aquatic species in lakes, rivers and coastal waters.

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Ballast water, while essential to the safe and efficient operation of modern shipping, can pose economic, ecological and public health risks when it carries non-native species around the world. The USCG regulations were developed to limit the release of live organisms in ship ballast water to reduce the risks associated with the spread of aquatic invasive species.

NSF is leading a partnership between Retlif Testing Laboratories (Retlif), the Great Ships Initiative (GSI) and the Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC) to test and evaluate systems to the Coast Guard requirements.

NSF International has provided support to the USCG for more than 30 years as a recognized facility for testing and evaluation of marine sanitation devices and oil pollution prevention equipment. NSF is also the verification partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Water Quality Protection Center (WQPC) of the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program, which verifies commercial-ready technologies that protect ground- and surface waters from contamination. The WQPC, with valuable contributions from a large number of ballast water treatment stakeholders, developed the protocols to be used for this BWMS testing. NSF is a global independent organization with nearly 70 years of public health and safety expertise.

"Over the past 11 years, we have worked with the USCG, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other very experienced and industry-leading organizations to develop this protocol. We appreciate the USCG acceptance of NSF International as an Independent Laboratory to complete the BWMS testing and evaluation. This work is central to our mission of protecting public health and the environment by preventing the spread of invasive species in navigable waters," stated Tom Bruursema, General Manager of NSF International's Sustainability division.

Dr. Mario Tamburri, Director of MERC, added "We are excited to be part of the first U.S. Coast Guard-approved Independent Laboratory for testing ballast water treatment systems and to ultimately play an important role in helping to stop the spread of invasive species."

Ms. Allegra Cangelosi, President of Northeast-Midwest Institute and Director of the Great Ships Initiative, remarked, "We are excited that the hard work involved in setting up our testing programs will assist the new USCG BWMS type approval process to assure effective and efficient BWMS on ships."

View the entire news release at http://www.nsf.org/info/press/index.asp?p_id=26530.

CONTACT: Kelly Nichols
734-827-6850, [email protected]

SOURCE NSF International