Lonza Applauds U.S. Lonza Microbial Control, which has long been an active supporter of an international treaty to assure the use of environmentally sound marine coatings products, applauds the United States’ formal approval of the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships. With the treaty having secured Congressional and White House approval, the U.S. will officially become a party to the treaty in November 2012. The treaty is designed to eliminate harmful antifouling systems which pose a substantial risk of toxicity to ecologically and economically important marine organisms and specifically bans all use of organotin compounds which act as biocides in antifouling systems.