CruiseMaine Salutes Cruise Industry's Environmental Practices

In response to recent press regarding proposed environmental legislation in Maine. The Cruise Maine Coalition felt it necessary to bring to light some of the actual laws, practices, procedures and environmental initiatives that the cruise industry already adheres to while they are doing business in Maine.

 

Many articles have suggested that the cruise industry currently dumps wastewater along our shores. To suggest this is simply to be uneducated about the industry's current practices. All major cruise lines are members of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL). As a condition of ICCL membership these lines voluntarily agree to waste management practices that exceed the current federal requirements and include a ban on discharges within 4 miles of any coastline unless technically advanced wastewater treatment systems are in use. Black water (sewage waste) is not discharged into the ocean anywhere in the world without being treated by a marine sanitation device, and bilge water is not discharged without being processed through an oily water separator that removes oil content below 15 parts per million.

 

Cruise ships are regulated by both international treaties and domestic law regarding safety and pollution prevention. This is necessary due to the variety of jurisdictional locations that a cruise ship might enter during a typical cruise. International and Federal regulations provide the guidelines for an environmentally sound operation. These regulations cover air emissions, wastewater, hazardous wastes, oily bilge water, the protection of marine mammal life and coral reefs, as well as the procedures to document and report their compliance.

 

The cruise industry is fully committed to a partnership with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in a number of areas including the development and implementation of the EPA's proposed “Blue Cruise Program”. This is a federally certified environmental program that will encourage further reductions in both air and waste emissions. The industry also works in concert with the USCG and the International Maritime Organization to ensure compliance with all the required programs.

 

Environmental studies clearly state that 80% of the coastal water pollution comes from land based sources. That leaves the balance of marine pollution to such things as naturally occurring climatic changes, aquaculture, ships of all types (fishing, recreational, commercial), and other causes. Last year the USCG in Portland reported that nearly 700 large commercial vessels transited through the port; of those ships only 23 or 3% of the entire port traffic was from cruise ships. In total, the cruise industry only represents 0.2% of the world's ship traffic. Additionally, there are countless numbers of ferry, tourism, fishing, and recreational transits in the Portland area.

 

The Portland Water District discharges some 16.5 million gallons of treated sewage into Portland Harbor every day. At the current level of cruise ship traffic in Portland , it would take five years for all the ships combined to generate the same volume of discharge as Portland produces in one day. When you factor in that only those vessels with advanced treatment systems are actually discharging in Portland harbor the comparison jumps to roughly 30 years of ship discharge to equal one day of the City's discharge. Clearly if Portland has water quality problems, the cruise ships are not the cause.

 

In June the Holland America vessel MAASDAM will be docked at the Portland Ocean Terminal where they will be hosting an onboard tour for legislators, local government officials, and environmental leaders. The tour will include the ship's wastewater treatment system, bilge waste management system, engine room, trash incinerator and garbage handling facility. Holland America is also considering offering the same tour while the ship is in Bar Harbor . They are eager to educate the public on their environmental programs and like all their counterparts in the industry; they recognize that it is important to be well-received in the communities where they do business.

 

Let's be fair and give credit where credit is due. The cruise industry deserves acknowledgment for their research and development of new technology and practices. They have invested heavily in new procedures and treatment systems, without the mandate of government regulations. They have also invested in educational training programs for their employees. They have set a standard of excellence unmatched in the marine industry and they maintain that standard on a daily basis. We should all be so dedicated to the environment.