33 CFR § 401.30 - Ballast water and trim.
(a) Every vessel shall be adequately ballasted.
(b) Every vessel shall be properly trimmed.
(c) No vessel, other than under exceptional circumstances and with special permission, shall be accepted for transit whose trim by the stern exceeds 45.7 dm.
(d) Any vessel that is not adequately ballasted or properly trimmed in the opinion of an officer, may be refused transit or may be delayed.
(e) To obtain clearance to transit the Seaway:
(1) Every vessel entering the Seaway after operating beyond the exclusive economic zone must agree to comply with the “Code of Best Practices for Ballast Water Management” of the Shipping Federation of Canada dated September 28, 2000, while operating anywhere within the Great Lakes and the Seaway; and
(2) Every other vessel entering the Seaway that operates within the Great Lakes and the Seaway must agree to comply with the “Voluntary Management Practices to Reduce the Transfer of Aquatic Nuisance Species Within the Great Lakes by U.S. and Canadian Domestic Shipping” of the Lake Carriers Association and Canadian Shipowners Association dated January 26, 2001, while operating anywhere within the Great Lakes and the Seaway. For copies of the “Code of Best Practices for Ballast Water Management” and of the “Voluntary Management Practices to Reduce the Transfer of Aquatic Nuisance Species Within the Great Lakes by U.S. and Canadian Domestic Shipping” refer to the St. Lawrence Seaway Web site at http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com.
(f) As a condition of transit of the Seaway after having operated outside the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) every vessel that carries only residual amounts of ballast water and/or sediment that were taken onboard the vessel outside the EEZ shall:
(1) Conduct a saltwater flushing of their ballast water tanks that contain the residual amounts of ballast water and/or sediment in an area 200 nautical miles from any shore before entering waters of the Seaway. Saltwater flushing is defined as the addition of mid-ocean water to ballast water tanks: The mixing of the flushwater with residual water and sediment through the motion of the vessel; and the discharge of the mixed water, such that the resultant residual water remaining in the tank has as high salinity as possible, and is at least 30 parts per thousand (ppt). The vessel shall take on as much mid-ocean water into each tank as is safe (for the vessel and crew) in order to conduct saltwater flushing. And adequate flushing may require more than one fill-mix-empty sequence, particularly if only small amounts of water can be safely taken onboard at one time. The master of the vessel is responsible for ensuring the safety of the vessel, crew, and passengers. Vessels reporting only residual ballast water onboard shall take particular care to conduct saltwater flushing on the transit to the Great Lakes so as to eliminate fresh and or brackish water residuals in ballast tanks; and
(2) Maintain the ability to measure salinity levels in each tank onboard the vessel so that final salinities of at least 30 ppt can be ensured.
(g) Every tank that is found not in compliance with 401.30(f) shall retain any ballast water until it exits the Seaway.
(h) These requirements do not apply to vessels of the armed forces, as defined in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or that are owned or operated by a state and used in government noncommercial service.