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Stop Cruise Ship Pollution: Laws & Regulations

Clean Cruise Ship Act

The Clean Cruise Ship Act is an example of strong legislation that if passed could radically change the way the cruise industry operates in Hawai‘i’s waters. The bill, introduced by Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois and Congressman Sam Farr of California already has bipartisan backing but more congress members need to support S.793/H.R. 1636 for it to pass. Now without federal regulations, cruise ships are allowed to dump sewage three miles from shore and can dump their other waste virtually anywhere else in the ocean. There are already federal standards governing graywater expulsion in Alaska and the Great Lakes, but the Clean Cruise Ship Act takes a strong stance on prohibiting cruise ship waste dumping near shorelines throughout the US.

The new Act would:
  • Allow no dumping of sewage, graywater, oily bilge within 12 miles of any shore

  • Empower the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine standards for sewage and graywater discharged beyond the 12 mile-point and charges the Coast Guard and EPA with enforcing the standards

  • Allows for cruise ships to have their pollution control equipment inspected

  • Protects cruise ship employees who report polluting activities onboard vessels

  • Allows citizens to launch civil action against any vessel or carrier in violation of the Act.

You can help the Clean Cruise Ship Act make its way through Congress. Last year, the bill gained the support of over 50 members of Congress. It needs more support this year to pass. Contact Congressmen Case and Abercrombie and Senators Akaka and Inouye and ask them to co-sponsor the Clean Cruise Ship Act -- the more co-sponsors the bill has, the better chance it has of passing.

 

KAHEA is an alliance of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) cultural practitioners, environmental activists and others concerned with protecting customary and traditional rights and our fragile environment.

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