Commissioner urges exploring shipper certification after mussel detections; agency staff flag tradeoffs

Commissioner Steve Parker raised aquatic invasive species after recounting recent inspections that found mussels on boats and a case where a trucked vessel arrived with its hull covered in quagga mussels. "Shouldn't that be a responsibility at the point of origin?" Parker asked, proposing the idea of requiring shippers or transporters to certify hull cleanliness or to perform remedial actions before transport.

Kelly (staff) responded that the agency currently uses state and federal funds to remediate vessels identified at check stations and welcomed involving the legislative director (Justin Bush) if the committee wished to pursue a legislative approach. Kelly added that certification at origin could be workable but cautioned about maintaining confidence that remediation was done correctly and noted enforcement tradeoffs: overly strict requirements might incentivize avoidance of inspection points.

Parker said he wanted to continue exploring the idea and that staff had already begun informal work with the legislative director and other offices. No formal motion or policy change was recorded; the discussion concluded as an item for further staff consideration and possible future committee follow-up.