Cruise Line Industry - Report Example

Cruise Line Industry s affiliation Cruise Line Industry More than 45,000 business vessels like passenger ships, container ships, bulk carriers and tankers navigate the oceans and other water bodies’ worldwide, transporting cargo and passengers. Their activities are regulated by international codes of behavior and U.S. domestic laws, as well as those intended to protect against pollutants discharges that could endanger the environment, marine resources, and human health. In a seven day cruise or voyage, a large cruise ship (with over 4,000 crew and passengers) is projected to generate 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) of gray water, 210,000 US gallons (790,000 L) of sewage; 25,000 US gallons (95 m3) of oily bilge water, more than 130 US gallons (490 L) of hazardous wastes and more than 8 tons of solid waste. If those wastes are not properly disposed of and treated and disposed of can cause risks to human health and the environment (Environmental Protection Agency, 2000) Concern regarding cruise line ship pollution has raised issues for stakeholders in the Friends of the Earth Program (Shareholders and managers). This report presents stakeholder perspectives on matters related to cruise ship pollution. It will describe the several types of waste and contaminants that cruise ships produce and discharge. It will identify the intricate body of international and domestic laws that tackle pollution from cruise ships. Some wastes are subject to U.S law while some are covered by international standards. The report will describe both state and federal legislative and legal activity pertaining to cruise ships in Alaskan waters and some activities other states. According to the program manager, whose report card is intended to draw awareness to the environmental impact of the cruise industry and also to assist customers select the most environmentally accountable cruises? "This industry is worth billions of dollars that could set up the most highly sophisticated sewage treatment expertise," "Were confident that some cruise lines are taking incremental procedures to develop their performance, but the whole industry must end hiding behind fragile laws and regulations and take appropriate action to ensure the oceans their ships voyage remain as clear as the photos in cruise leaflets. But we also require EPA to implement tougher treatment standards to guard our oceans from the waste of these ships." Friends of the Earths report card grades cruise lines on three criteria: 1. Conformity with Alaskas water-quality rules to guard the states coast. 2. sewage treatment technology 3. If ships can plug into shore-based power and if they use cleaner fuel than required by U.S. and international law Disney Cruise Line was ranked as the most environmentally liable line, getting an overall A and also for sewage treatment. The manager and shareholders said all four Disney ships have highly developed sewage treatment systems and three are fitted to plug in to shore-based power.  On the other hand of the scale, Carnival Cruise Lines which has the worlds leading fleet of 25 cruise ships but only two with advanced sewage treatment technology earned an overall grade of C-minus and an F for sewage. Cruise ship waste streams According to the stakeholders, Cruise ships produce some of waste streams that can outcome in the marine environment discharges, including sewage, solid waste, gray water, ballast water, hazardous wastes and oily bilge water. They also release air pollutants to the water and air. If these wastes are not properly treated and disposed of, can be a major source of toxic substances, pathogens and nutrients, and with the prospective to damage aquatic life and threaten human health. Specific wastes, such as solid waste, sewage, and gray water may be of greater alarm for cruise ships relation to other sea vessels, because of the great numbers of crew and passengers and those ships carry and the large volumes of wastes that they generate (Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). Additionally, because cruise ships have a tendency to focus their activities in particular coastal areas and visit the same ports frequently, their increasing impact on a local scale could be important, as can outcomes of individual intentional or accidental large-volume releases. The stakeholders describe both international and federal laws and regulations regarding environmental pollution from ships. International laws and regulations MARPOL 73/78 is one of the most significant pollution regulations from ships. But according to the stakeholders, they have not been so effective because the response rate from flag states has been poor. The various sources of pollution from ships are covered by the Six Annexes of the Convention and give a framework for global objectives (General Accounting Office, 2000). The Convention in the U.S is applied through the Act to prevent Pollution from Ships. Under the Convention provisions, the U.S can take direct enforcement under U.S. laws against foreign flagged ships when pollution release event take place within U.S. jurisdiction. When events take place outside U.S. jurisdiction or jurisdiction cannot be determined, the U.S refers cases to flag states, in accordance with MARPOL. These procedures involve considerable organization between the State Department, the Coast Guard, and other flag states. Federal laws and regulations The shareholders observe that, in the U.S, numerous federal agencies have some authority above cruise ships in U.S. waters, but none of the agencies is responsible for or coordinates all of the pertinent government functions. The EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard have regulatory and standard responsibilities, and the Department of Justice put on trial violations of federal laws (Bell, 2007) Sewage pollution The relevant stakeholders describe the Clean Water Act (CWA) or Federal Water Pollution Control Act as the main U.S. law responsible for limiting polluting activities in the coastal waters, streams, lakes, and oceans. Under the act, vessels are prohibited unless a permit has been obtained to avoid pollutant discharges from point sources. Sewage from vessels and cruise ships is excluded from the provision to acquire an NPDES permit. The Clean Water Act Section 312 prohibits the dumping of untreated or improperly treated sewage from vessels into the navigable waters of the United States (4.8 km) of shore. Under this section, commercial and leisure vessels with fixed toilets are obligated to have marine sanitation devices that are designed avoid the release of untreated sewage. Beyond 4.8 km, raw sewage can be discharged. Some cruise ships, particularly several of those that voyage in Alaskan waters, sewage is treated using Advanced Wastewater Treatment systems (AWTS) that usually offer improved treatment, screening, disinfection and sludge processing in contrast with traditional MSDs. AWTs are very helpful in eliminating oxygen-demanding substance, pathogens, oil and grease, suspended solids, and particulate sewage metals, but only fairly successful in removing dissolved metals and nutrients. Grey water According to the current federal law, the stakeholders observe that grey water is not classified as a pollutant, nor is it considered to be sewage. Under the Clean Water Act, the grey water is included in its definition of sewage for the purpose of regulating business vessels in the Great Lakes, under the Section 312 MSD requirements. Therefore, at present grey water can be released by cruise ships anywhere apart from the Great Lakes. Pursuant to a state law in Alaska, grey water must be treated prior to release into that state’s waters. Solid waste The stakeholders state that solid waste discharges from Cruise ships are governed by two laws. Research and Sanctuaries Act and Title 1 of the Marine Protection, it is effective because makes it makes it unlawful to convey garbage from the United States for the intention of dumping it into the ocean without a consent inform of a permit or to dump substances from outside the U.S. into U.S. waters. The MPRSA permit is issued beyond the borders of the U.S but required for a cruise ship to release solid waste. The regular discharge of effluent is plainly accepted from the description of dumping in the MPRSA (Shore Protection Act, 1988) Hazardous waste The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act are the major federal laws that oversee hazardous waste management. This Act is efficient because the owner of a cruise ship may be a transporter or generator of hazardous waste, and thus affected by the RCRA rules. Matters that the cruise line industry may encounter connected to the RCRA include ensuring that parties are appropriately acknowledged as generators, treaters, or disposers; making certain that hazardous waste is recognized at the point at which it is regarded as generated; and determining the applicability of RCRA provisions to each. Hazardous waste that is generated aboard cruise ships are stored aboard until the wastes can be offloaded for disposal in accordance with RCRA. Additionally, cruise ships hazardous waste discharges are subject to Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, which forbids the discharge of hazardous substances in destructive quantities into the navigable waters of the U.S, adjacent shorelines (EPA, 2000) Bilge water The Clean Water Act Section 311 applies to cruise ships and prohibits discharge of hazardous substances or oil in harmful quantities into U.S. navigable waters, which may have an effect on natural resources in the U.S. EEZ (extending 320 km offshore). Coast Guard regulations prohibit discharge of oil within 19 km (12 miles) from shore, if not passed through a 15-ppm oil water separator, and unless the discharge does not cause a detectable sheen. If the distance is beyond 12 miles, oil can be discharged and if the oil content without dilution is less than 100 ppm. This Act is not very effective as ships are required to retain an Oil Record Book to record disposal of oily residues and discharges or disposal of bilge water. Conclusion As the cruise line industry expands, efforts to reduce the dangerous environmental impacts from the pollution sources must expand as well. New laws and regulations are needed to set up particular cruise ship discharge limits. In addition, international regulations need to be harmonized so as to provide certainty and avoid pollution in jurisdictions with less severe requirements. References Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Department of Transportation, “Summary of Cruise Ship Waste Streams.” Accessed 28-Jul-2010 EPA Draft Discharge Assesment Report (2000) The Shore Protection Act, (1988). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water. (2008) "Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report," EPA842-R-07-005. U.S. General Accounting Office (2000). Marine Pollution: Progress Made to Reduce Marine Pollution by Cruise Ships, but Important Issues Remain, GAO/RCED-00-48, 70 pp Read More