Washington, D.C. – In response to the Senate blocking the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which included the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), the League of Conservation Voters issued the following statement from President Gene Karpinski:

“By rejecting this attempt to give the shipping industry a free pass to further jeopardize our waterways with the spread of invasive species, the Senate has recognized that we must do more, not less, to protect clean water. We extend tremendous thanks to all the Senators who stood against this attack on the Clean Water Act and for the communities, businesses, and ecosystems that would have been devastated by this dangerous loophole.”

LCV urged senators to block the bill unless the VIDA provisions were removed. LCV’s full letter to the Senate can be found here.