Cruise ship pollution / Oliver G. Krenshaw, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Krenshaw, Oliver G.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cruise ships--Waste disposal--United States.

Cruise ships.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (200 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Nova Science Publishers, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The cruise industry is a significant and growing contributor to the U.S. economy, providing more than $32 billion in benefits annually and generating more than 330,000 U.S. jobs, but also making the environmental impacts of its activities an issue to many. Although cruise ships represent a small fraction of the entire shipping industry world-wide, public attention to their environmental impact comes in part from the fact that cruise ships are highly visible and in part because of the industry's desire to promote a positive image. Cruise ships carrying several thousand passengers and crew have been compared to "floating cities", and the volume of wastes that they produce is comparably large, consisting of sewage; wastewater from sinks, showers, and galleys (graywater); hazardous wastes; solid waste; oily bilge water; ballast water; and air pollution. The waste streams generated by cruise ships are governed by a number of international protocols (especially MARPOL) and U.S. domestic laws (including the Clean Water Act and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships), regulations, and standards, but there is no single law or rule. Some cruise ship waste streams appear to be well regulated, such as solid wastes (garbage and plastics) and bilge water. But there is overlap of some areas, and there are gaps in others. Some, such as graywater and ballast water, are not regulated (except in the Great Lakes), and concern is increasing about the impacts of these discharges on public health and the environment. In other areas, regulations apply, but critics argue that they are not stringent enough to address the problem -- for example, with respect to standards for sewage discharges. Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the adequacy of existing laws for managing these wastes, and they contend that enforcement is weak. In 2000, Congress enacted legislation restricting cruise ship discharges in U.S. navigable waters within the state of Alaska. California, Alaska, and Maine have enacted state-specific laws concerning cruise ship pollution, and a few other states have entered into voluntary agreements with industry to address management of cruise ship discharges. Meanwhile, the cruise industry has voluntarily undertaken initiatives to improve pollution prevention, by adopting waste management guidelines and procedures and researching new technologies. Concerns about cruise ship pollution raise issues for Congress in three broad areas: adequacy of laws and regulations, research needs, and oversight and enforcement of existing requirements. Legislation to regulate cruise ship discharges of sewage, graywater, and bilge water nationally has been introduced in the 110th Congress (S. 2881). This book describes the several types of waste streams that cruise ships may discharge and emit. It identifies the complex body of international and domestic laws that address pollution from cruise ships. It then describes federal and state legislative activity concerning cruise ships in Alaskan waters and activities in a few other states, as well as current industry initiatives to manage cruise ship pollution.

Contents:

Intro

CRUISE SHIP POLLUTION

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Chapter 1 DRAFT CRUISE SHIP DISCHARGE ASSESSMENT REPORT

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Overview

1.2. Other EPA Cruise Ship Efforts

Cruise Ship White Paper, August 2000

Cruise Ship Public Hearings, September 2000

Cruise Ship Plume Tracking Survey, Summer 2001

Cruise Ship Hazardous Waste Tracking System, December 2001

Evaluation of Standards for Sewage and Graywater Discharges from Cruise Ships in Alaska

1.3. Cruise Ship Industry Efforts to Reduce Potential Environmental Impacts

REFERENCES

SECTION 2: SEWAGE

2.1. What is Sewage from Vessels and how much is Generated on Cruise Ships?

2.2. What laws apply to sewage from cruise ships?

2.2.1. Clean Water Act Section 312

Marine Sanitation Devices

No-Discharge Zones

2.2.2. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

2.2.3. Certain Alaskan Cruise Ship Operations

2.2.4. National Marine Sanctuaries Act

2.3. How do Cruise Ships Treat Sewage?

2.3.1. Traditional Type II Marine Sanitation Devices

How it Works

How Well it Works in Practice

Data Collection

Pathogen Indicators

Conventional Pollutants and Other Common Analytes

Metals

Volatile and Semivolatile Organics

Nutrients

2.3.2. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems

Pesticides

2.3.3. Sewage Sludge

Waste Sludge

Screening Solids

2.3.4. Cruise Industry Practice

2.4. What are the Potential Environmental Impacts Associated with Sewage from Cruise Ships?

2.4.1. Comparison to wastewater discharge standards.

2.4.2. Comparison to EPA's National Recommended Water Quality Criteria

Oil and Grease

Settleable and Suspended Solids

Temperature

Total Residual Chlorine

Semivolatile and Volatile Organics

2.4.3. Mixing and Dilution

Dilution at Rest

Dilution Underway

2.4.4. Potential Treatment Technologies in Addition to A WTs

Nutrient Removal Technologies

Ammonia Removal by Biological Nitrification

Total Nitrogen Removal by Ion Exchange

Phosphorus Removal by Chemical Precipitation

Metals Removal Technologies

Metals Removal by Ion Exchange

Metals Removal by Reverse Osmosis

Temperature Control

2.5. What Action is the Federal Government Taking to Address Sewage from Cruise Ships?

SECTION 3: GRAYWATER

3.1. What is graywater and how much is generated on cruise ships?

3.2. What Laws Apply to Graywater from Cruise Ships?

3.2.1. Clean Water Act

3.2.2. Certain Alaskan Cruise Ship Operations

3.2.3. National Marine Sanctuaries Act

3.3. Characterization of Untreated Graywater

3.4 What are the Potential Environmental Impacts Associated with Untreated Graywater from Cruise Ships?

3.4.1. Comparison to Wastewater Discharge Standards

3.4.2. Comparison to EPA's National Recommended Water Quality Criteria

Conventional Pollutants and other Common Analytes

3.4.3. Mixing and Dilution

Dilution Underway.

3.4.4. Potential Treatment Technologies in Addition to A WTs

3.5. What Action is the Federal Government Taking to Address Graywater Waste Streams from Cruise Ships?

SECTION 4: OILY BILGE WATER

4.1. What is Bilge Water and how much is Generated on Cruise Ships?

4.2. What Laws Apply to Bilge Water from Cruise Ships?

4.2.1. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)

The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS)

Applicable Coast Guard regulations

4.2.2. Oil Pollution Act and Clean Water Act

4.3. How do Cruise Ships Manage Bilge Water?

4.4. What are the Potential Environmental Impacts Associated with Inadequately Treated Bilge Water from Cruise Ships?

4.5. What Action is the Federal Government Taking to Address Bilge Water from Cruise Ships?

SECTION 5: SOLID WASTE

5.1. What is Solid Waste and how much is Generated on Cruise Ships?

5.2. What Laws Apply to Solid Waste from Cruise Ships?

5.2.1. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships

Applicable Coast Guard Regulations

5.2.2. Clean Water Act

5.2.3. National Marine Sanctuaries Act

5.2.4. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

5.2.5. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act

5.3. How do Cruise Ships Manage Solid Waste?

5.4. What are the Potential Environmental Impacts Associated with Solid Waste from Cruise Ships?

5.5. What Action is the Federal Government Taking to Address Solid Waste from Cruise Ships?

SECTION 6: HAZARDOUS WASTE.

6.1. What is Hazardous Waste and how much is Generated on Cruise Ships?

6.2. What Laws Apply to Hazardous Waste on Cruise Ships?

6.2.1 Clean Water Act

6.2.2. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

6.2.3. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

6.3. How do Cruise Ships Manage Hazardous Waste?

6.4. What are the Potential Environmental Impacts Associated with Hazardous Waste from Cruise Ships?

6.5. What Action is the Federal Government Taking to Address Hazardous Waste from Cruise Ships?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLAIMER

Chapter 2 CRUISE SHIP POLLUTION: BACKGROUND, LAWS AND REGULATIONS, AND KEY ISSUES∗

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

CRUISE SHIP WASTE STREAMS

APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS

International Legal Regime

Domestic Laws and Regulations

Alaskan Activities

Other State Activities

Industry Initiatives

ISSUES FOR CONGRESS

REFERENCE

INDEX

Blank Page.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-61728-215-4

OCLC:

923662510