Senate OKs Coast Guard bill with ballast water compromise

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Senate has approved a new policy on ships that dump ballast water in coastal ports and the Great Lakes, a practice blamed for spreading invasive species that damage the environment and the economy.
The ballast plan is contained in a $10.6 billion Coast Guard budget authorization bill passed Wednesday. It now goes to the House for consideration.
Environmentalists and the shipping industry have battled for years over regulation of ballast water, which kee