| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| John Benedict |
Posted - 06/27/2008 : 12:34:22
As promised, below and attached is an action alert asking for calls into Senate offices on invasive species. Please feel free to share this alert with your networks. Action Alert;
Calls Needed on Invasive Species in the Senate
Problem:
Invasive Species like the zebra mussel continue to wreak havoc on the Great Lakes - racking up control costs to the tune of $120 billion annually. What's more, new invaders are arriving in the Great Lakes about once every 28 weeks, mainly from the ballast tanks of ocean going ships. Despite the House of Representatives' important first step this spring in passing strong ballast water treatment requirements as part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, the U.S. Senate has failed to move complementary legislation to protect the Great Lakes and the country from invasive species. With an election this November, Congress has a shortened legislative calendar this year. The bottom line is we are running out of time and the Senate's failure to act will reduce us to square one.
Solution:
The Senate must act this summer to pass strong ballast water treatment standards similar to those in the House.
Action Needed:
Please call both of your U.S. Senators between Wednesday, June 25 and Friday, June 27 - before they go home for the Independence Day holiday. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1. Call the Capital Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to be connected to your U.S. Senator.
2. Ask the receptionist that you'd like to speak with the staff member working on invasive species and/or environmental issues
3. Talking points:
- I'm calling about invasive species in the Great Lakes. [explain why the issue is important to you]
- Invasive species control costs $120 billion annually
- The House passed ballast water treatment standards in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act earlier this spring.
- Urge the Senator to make passing similar ballast water legislation in the Senate a top priority this year. We are running out of time and the Senate's failure to act this year puts us back at square one.
- I would like to request that the Senator's staff respond to me in writing about how the Senator intends to stop the introduction of invasive species in the Great Lakes.
After you've called one of your two U.S. Senators, please call the other!
Follow-up: Let us know what you hear! Please email Chris Grubb (grubbc@nwf.org) to let us know that your calls were made and to share any info that was conveyed. Thank you for being a critical part of the solution for the Great Lakes.
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