EPA Bans Cruise Ships From Dumping Sewage Near California Coast

SAN FRANCISCO — Cruise ships and other large commercial vessels will not be allowed to dump sewage within three miles of the California coast under a new federal rule, environmental regulators announced Wednesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule will take effect early next year and adds teeth to existing state law, which already bans ships from dumping runoff from their showers or sinks, oil or other hazardous substances.

Regional EPA Administrator Jared Blumenfeld said cruise ships and other vessels dump 20 million gallons of sewage off California's coast each year, which ends up fouling beaches and bays.

Some cruise ships can hold 6,000 passengers, so a lot of sewage can be dumped from just one vessel. The refuse ends up being jettisoned into the sea, and if close enough to shore can affect water quality at beaches, leading to closures.

Michael Crye, executive vice president of Cruise Lines International Association, said its members already follow discharge regulations exceeding the new standards. The group represents 25 companies, including Carnival and Disney Cruise Lines.

"Our vessels have been following industry wide practices and California state law. They don't discharge within three miles of the California coast, and have been following that for a number of years," Crye said.

But the new rule doesn't just target cruise liners. Large container vessels bringing goods into port also would be covered by the regulation, which will apply to all vessels of 300 gross tons or more.

"California is a hub for international trade, with ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland. So a lot of sewage ends up in our waters for goods that end up in Chicago and New York," Blumenfeld said.

Even though the state's measure originally included sewage, regulating that discharge falls under the jurisdiction of the federal Clean Water Act, so EPA had to take the lead on controlling it.

The new rule allows the U.S. Coast Guard to cite vessels for violations.

The rule applies to all sewage discharges, treated or not.

Comments

[Zen0469]

12:52 AM on 08/29/2010

It's time for activists to become involved. Bellyachin­g about cruise ship waste dumping procedures accomplish­es nothing. Far better to get up out of your easy chair and:

1. Attack congressme­n and senators who still believe that bribes (lobbying) are acceptable­; &

2. Fight for legislatio­n that will allow no waste dumping in any ocean.

[aligatorhardt]

08:46 AM on 08/28/2010

Ocean dumping should be illegal in any location. Sewage or garbage should be returned to land and disposed of in the same manner as all other waste. These cruise ships are totally frivolous and do not deserve any exceptions to environmen­tal regulation­s.

[rocketjsquirreil]

02:01 AM on 08/28/2010

Poor mother earth, the old girl just can't catch a break. Oh well, people come first. Our kids will have to pay...

[ThinkCreeps]

01:36 PM on 08/27/2010

Thousands of fat people all on a big white ship with surfaces covered in enteric bacteria - that's a lot of sewage, vomit and food waste.

[up420oz]

12:10 AM on 08/27/2010

well here is a common sense thought.
If ya can hold it to the outside 3 mile limit, ya can hold it till ya get to port and have it correctly disposedof­.

Cruise's are for mall rats, just on a ship.

[VapeGirl]

11:15 PM on 08/26/2010

OK so why are my post beiung censored? What exactly am I saying that is so bad it that it is deleted? Please explain. I am posting it again. I said nothing wrong. I spoke my opinion. That is the purpose of forums. As a censor, your job is not to agree or dis-agree with the statement. If the post does not break the rules and my clearly does not - you have no right to remove it.

Once again...

They shouldn't be dumping it in the oceans anyways. If they cannot come up with a way to dispose of the waste by other means, then just don't allow them to build these massive ships. Seriously.­..when is enough - enough

[aligatorhardt]

08:47 AM on 08/28/2010

The censorship on HP is way overdone and is irritating to say the least.

[George Hanshaw]

12:11 PM on 08/28/2010

You were the arbitrary delete of the hour.

Usually it's me.

[George Hanshaw]

12:25 PM on 08/28/2010

And my comment about Victoria Canada's 330,000 people dumping untreated sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the US and Canada (20 miles from the oyster and clam bed areas of Penn Cove) for the last .....well forever I guess, apparently was incorrect too. We must want to pretend the Canadians are better than us when it comes to the environmen­t.

http://www­.publicbro­adcasting.­net/kplu/n­ews.newsma­in/article­/1/0/16932­01/KPLU.Lo­cal.News/V­ictoria.Se­wage.Treat­ment.Plan.­Approved

[wackette]

01:48 PM on 08/28/2010

The Nazi-Nun was on duty, again.

[rollingrock]

10:36 PM on 08/26/2010

These cruise ships are also a major threat to whales and other endangered marine species. Each ship can kill hundreds of whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, seals, etc every year simply by running over them. Its a terrible, painful way to die for the animals. These large ships should be banned once and for all.

[mamacat]

06:21 PM on 08/26/2010

Once again, a headline is misleading­, although the article goes on to correct the false start. Cruise ships have been banned from dumping their refuse in California State waters for many years. This new law will apply to other types of ships, such as the many container ships that come here from China.

I would hope that this law would be applied in all federal waters, whenever practical.

BTW, L.A. harbor has already instituted a program of supplying ships' electrical needs from the local electrical grid, so that ships tied up to the dock do not (and cannot) run their diesel engines in order to supply their own electricit­y. This has helped eliminate a large source of pollution in the area.

[Telemachus]

06:38 PM on 08/26/2010

I saw something about that on TV. Awesome.

If that sort of program isn't part of the federal stimulus, it should be. And many more programs like it.

[HLL]

07:12 PM on 08/26/2010

I did not know any of that, mamacat. As a California­n, I'm happy to learn it.

Meanwhile, we've got two major issues no one is talking about: ocean pollution, as well as Earth and Air pollution, and an impossible population explosion. If we could solve these issues, I'd feel a whole lot better about our chances. The Earth will, no doubt, survive us. It may take her a few million years to detox from us, but the rivers will flow clean and clear one day again, the oceans will be pure and plenteous again, the air crystal - I believe that.

I long for the day when our government gets out of the global war business and embraces the clean green energy business. F & F for excellent informatio­n. Thank you ☮

[bboyy]

04:37 PM on 08/26/2010

thank you california for being on the forefront of enviroment­al issues.Fro­m farm animal abuse to carbon emmisions. I love my state.

[Jolimont]

04:08 PM on 08/26/2010

As far as I know cruise ships have water reclamatio­n plants on board?

[Lonely Progressive in AZ]

04:51 PM on 08/26/2010

Most of them do...

Here's informatio­n from my favorite line, NCL:

http://www­2.ncl.com/­about/envi­ronmental-­commitment

[bluecrewman]

03:15 PM on 08/26/2010

Come on now. Dumping within three miles could contaminat­e beaches? How about 3.1 miles?
Is 2.9 miles more destructiv­e? The oceans are not our septic tank, especially if you are a floating cattle ship. Who have these guys given sexual favors to for the lilense to cr@p on everyone?? It reminds me of a smoker that decides at a light to dump butts at a red light. Butts, like feces and urine are pollution. There should be no permission granted. None. Cruise takers take heed, because you are the problem, if they can't figure out a way to contain the cr@p and such, you need to hold it in until the next docking.

[HLL]

03:02 PM on 08/26/2010

Utterly disgusting­.

We don't deserve this beautiful Earth. I don't see that we ever have ☮

[aphextwin07]

02:59 PM on 08/26/2010

"cruise ships and other vessels dump 20 million gallons of sewage off California­'s coast each year"

holy $ h i t, that's disgusting­.. no pun intended

[aligatorhardt]

08:50 AM on 08/28/2010

I bet you did intend the pun.

[Mark Montgomery]

02:40 PM on 08/26/2010

Wow a whole 3 miles huh? I wonder if the new regulation will impact their bottom (pun intended) line.

[Eben Arias]

02:08 PM on 08/26/2010

Gross.