Cruise lines sign off on A year-long effort between major cruise lines serving Hawaii and agencies responsible for environmental protection in the state has resulted in an anti-pollution agreement.
local anti-pollution pact
Critics say the agreement lacks teeth
By Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.comIts proponents say the voluntary keep-it-clean agreement does more to protect the ocean and Hawaii's shorelines and marine life than state, federal or international laws. Environmentalists say it does not go far enough.
At an official signing of a "memorandum of agreement" in Gov. Ben Cayetano's office yesterday, the governor said the cruise lines have promised "to be good stewards of the environment" and the state, in return, promised to be fair in its enforcement of the rules.
Cruise lines have become a significant part of Hawaii's economy and some places -- such as Hilo, Kauai and even parts of tourism-rich Maui -- have a high level of economic dependence on the ship-borne tourists, Cayetano said.
John Hansen, president of the nonprofit North West CruiseShip Association, said it is in the cruise lines' own financial interest to be more than ordinarily careful about the environment. Cruise lines marketing Hawaii and other destinations try to bring people to the most beautiful places in the world and that means those places have to be kept beautiful, Hansen said.
"We depend on the high-quality environment and we're here to protect it," Hansen said.
Among the new rules agreed to by the shipping lines are these:
>> Graywater -- such as dishwasher and shower runoff -- will not be put into the ocean unless the ship is at least four miles offshore and traveling at least six knots so the discharge will be thinly spread. Some laws would allow it to be discharged much closer to land.The agreement reinforces the need to stay within oil-discharge and other pollution requirements of state and federal laws and adds some more awareness of the fragile nature of Hawaii's coral reefs, shoreline and much of its marine life, the proponents said.>> Blackwater -- waste from toilets, medical sinks and other possibly pollutant sources that is usually separated from other waste while still aboard ship -- also won't be discharged within four miles of the coast. Ships treat such effluent before discharging it.
>> The ships will maximize their efforts to educate crew and passengers not to throw things overboard and to do their best to keep the environment clean.
Gary Gill, a deputy director of the state Department of Health and head of its Environmental Health Administration, said the agreement amounts to a promise on the part of the cruise lines "to protect and be good stewards of the environment."
The Hawaii chapter of the environmentalist Sierra Club called the agreement "toothless," arguing it contains no penalties for violations and that some of the companies signing it have been guilty of pollution despite making similar agreements in other jurisdictions.
Hansen of the cruise-ship association responded that the new agreement does more to protect the ocean environment than do federal and state law and international agreements.
Cayetano said his administration likes such agreements much more than it likes to impose regulations but "if things don't work out, we'll go back to regulation."
The members of the association signing the agreement are Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruises and World Explorer Cruises.
Hawaii Department of Health
State of Hawaii
