I am writing on behalf of Great Lakes United to comment on the proposed rulemaking, “Mandatory Ballast Water Management Program for U.S. Waters.” In this proposed rulemaking, the U.S. Coast Guard is “proposing to convert the voluntary ballast water management program into a mandatory ballast water management program” thereby increasing the Coast Guard’s “ability to protect against introductions of new non-indigenous species via ballast water discharge.” In the proposed rulemaking the Coast Guard notes that the mandatory ballast water management program proposed nationwide is already mandatory for vessels entering the Great Lakes.