Campaign Unavailable

By supporting this bill, we can move toward securing the regulations necessary to prevent pollution of our precious marine resources.

Please note oral testimony is not being heard at this hearing. Please respond today. The hearing is Tuesday, March 2. Testimony must be received by Monday, March first.

If you are visitor to Hawai'i, please indicate that in your testimony. Our oceans depend on your help.

Mahalo nui for your kokua.

Every day, one cruise ship produces on average (based on 3,000 passengers and crew) 11.5 tons of garbage, much of it plastic and styrofoam, most is incinerated, highly toxic ash often dumped into the ocean. 23 gallons of hazardous waste, including solvents used in cleaning, photo labs and dry-cleaning). 270,000 gallons of graywater--sink, shower, heavily chlorinated laundry, swimming pool, and galley water 7,000 gallons of oily bilge water 30,000 gallons of blackwater--human sewage waste and thousands of pounds of sewage sludge Air emissions equivalent to 12,000 automobiles Exchanges ballast water, potentially transferring invasive aquatic species

We assume that cruise ships employ the necessary available technology to protect marine resources from pollution. Alarmingly this is not the case. Many operate without advanced waste-water treatment equipment. The cruise industry has been caught illegally dumping sewage and other pollutants in waters around Florida, Alaska, and California and Hawai'i. The US Department of Justice has handed out over $48.5 million in fines to ten cruise lines for illegal dumping since 1993. Every major cruise line has had significant pollution-related convictions over the past decade.

Hawai'i currently has a voluntary pollution agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), that applies to some of the cruise ships operating here. Under the MOU ships agree to discharge outside of four miles or within four miles if the discharge is treated to a certain level. The MOU also says that the cruise ships will abide by existing laws and industry standards. The state cannot enforce the MOU, pursue penalties, or prevent the cruise ship from continuing to discharge.

The cruise industry's history of environmental compliance and accountability is horrendous. In August 2002, Norwegian Cruise Lines paid a $1 million criminal fine for dumping oil and falsifying logbooks. In April 2002, Carnival Cruise was fined $18 million for falsifying ship records. In 1998 and 1999, Royal Caribbean Cruises pleaded guilty to 30 charges, and fined $27 million for widespread dumping of oily bilge water into U.S. waters. According to the General Accounting Office, there were 87 confirmed cases of illegal dumping from cruise ships between 1993-1998, and 18 companies were guilty of dumping oil, sewage, food waste, plastics, and toxic chemicals in hundreds of individual releases into public waters from Puerto Rico to Alaska.

After first hand experience with cruise industries dumping practices, both California and Alaska enacted laws to protect marine resources. In June 2001, Alaska set standards for what could be discharged created a Coastal Protection Fund, employing a passenger fee to monitor the industry. California passed a "zero-discharge" law for all state coastal waters in September 2003.

Hawaii needs a strong law to prevent degradation of our already compromised marine resources. Help protect Hawai'i's marine ecosystems that sustain coral reefs, surf sights, and fishing grounds. Please kokua (help) by making your voice heard.

Take a moment to send a letter supporting legislation to regulate cruise ship pollution and pass this alert on to your friends, family and co-workers.

Mahalo nui loa. KAHEA

If you would like to view details on this alert, please visit here.