Newsroom
All News Releases By Date
EPA Seeks Penalties For Cruise Ships Air Pollution
Release Date: 8/3/2000
Contact Information: Steve Torok
[email protected]
(907) 586-7658
August 3, 2000 - - - - - - 00-38
The Alaska office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that the agency has proposed a $110,000 penalty against Princess Cruises, Inc. and a $55,000 penalty against Norwegian Cruise Line Limited for violating Alaska clean air standards last summer.
EPA inspectors observed excess emissions from the Dawn Princess and Sun Princess as they were docked in Seward, Alaska, and from the Norwegian Dynasty as it was docked in Juneau. The violations are of the state of Alaska’s Marine Vessel Emission Standards on “opacity”, which are readings of the smoke coming from a ship’s smokestacks. Zero percent opacity indicates no visible smoke while 100 percent indicates smoke so dense that it blocks visibility entirely. The state of Alaska has not been enforcing these provisions of state law due to lack of funding for the program and therefore requested assistance from EPA.
“Polluting the very environment from which these companies profit is completely unacceptable to Alaskans,” said Marcia Combes, Director of EPA’s Alaska Office.
“We’re continuing to monitor the cruise ships and if we find they’re breaking the law, we’ll take strong action. The bottom line is that the people of Alaska demand that the cruise ship companies obey pollution laws. Of course our preference is for the cruise ship companies to comply with the law rather than violate it.”
Violations of these state emission limits also violate the federal Clean Air Act and are subject to penalties of up to $27,500 per day for each violation. (See attached fact sheet for actual legal language)
The opacity of smoke is a function of the efficiencies of boilers and engines in combusting fuel and contains particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and volatile organic compounds. When inhaled, particulate matter can accumulate in the respiratory system and can aggravate or cause symptoms of respiratory disease such as asthma.
In addition to visible emission standards violations, the administrative complaints filed today also allege violations for failing to report the excess emissions to the state of Alaska.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is leading an Alaska Cruise Ship Initiative with representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, EPA, the Southeast Conference, the public, and the cruise ship industry to develop voluntary measures to address pollution problems associated with cruise ships.
###
NOTE: For a copy of the complaints filed by the EPA today, please call 1-800/424-4372.
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.
