An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Figure 16.1 Most Cruise Ship TravelOriginates in U.S. WatersMillions of Passengers1098765432101999■ U.S. Embarkations200020012002■ Global PassengersPassengers boarding cruise ships at U.S. portsaccount for over 70 percent of global passengers.Due to the growth of U.S. cruise shipoperations, appropriate treatment and disposalof wastewater discharges from these ships willcontinue to be a concern for maintaining waterquality and preventing harm to marine organisms.Source: Business Research & Economics Advisors. TheContribution of the North American Cruise Industry tothe U.S. Economy in 2002. Exton, PA: InternationalCouncil of Cruise Lines, August 2003.somewhat over the next several years,double-digit growth is predicted to continuein the near term. 24 This is causingincreased concern about the environmentalimpact of waste discharges fromcruise ships. The United States accountsfor about 70 percent of global cruiseembarkations; thus, a large portion ofcruise ship operations occur in or nearU.S. waters (Figure 16.1). 25Cruise ships can carry as many as5,000 passengers and crew, generatinglarge amounts of wastewater, includingblackwater (sewage), graywater (drainagefrom dishwashers, showers, laundry,baths, and washbasins), and hazardoussubstances. Estimates indicate that asingle cruise ship can generate from140,000 to 210,000 gallons of blackwaterand a million gallons of graywater perweek. 26,27 Of particular concern are thecumulative environmental impactscaused when cruise ships repeatedly visitthe same environmentally sensitive areas.Between 1993 and 1998, eighty-sevenillegal discharge cases were broughtagainst cruise lines in the United States, resulting in significant civil and criminal penalties. 28While the number of confirmed cases gradually declined during that period, new cases leadingto additional civil and criminal penalties have continued over the past several years.Industry efforts to address this problem have included the voluntary adoption of comprehensivemanagement plans for handling cruise ship wastes, participation in research partnershipswith government and other public and private stakeholders to investigate the impacts ofcruise ship pollution, and significant investments in new technologies to reduce environmentalimpacts. The cruise industry has also signed memoranda of understanding with individualstates concerning management and oversight of cruise ship waste disposal programs.In response to particular concerns about the impacts of cruise ship discharges inAlaska, a new federal statutory regime applicable only to Alaskan waters was developedin 2000, followed by a state statutory regime in 2001. These laws included wastewaterdischarge standards and provisions for sampling, testing, recordkeeping, and inspections,as well as flexibility to encourage voluntary application of innovative wastewater treatmenttechnologies and methods. However, no comprehensive wastewater managementregime is in place for all large passenger vessels operating in U.S. waters.A new regime is needed that provides clear, uniform requirements for controlling thedischarge of wastewater from large passenger vessels, as well as consistent interpretationand enforcement of those requirements. The benefits of the Alaskan approach should beextended to other sensitive ocean and coastal areas that experience significant cruise shiptraffic. Any new regulatory regime should be science-based and incorporate new findings,such as those from recent EPA studies on the dilution and dispersal of discharges fromvessels while underway, 29 and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation assessmentsof advanced wastewater treatment systems and cruise ship wastewater impacts. 30Effective enforcement will require that vessels maintain accurate records to allow the regulatedcommunity and enforcement officials to track the treatment and discharge of wastes.242 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY