Legislation Introduced to Restrict Cruise Ship Dumping

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) introduced legislation Oct. 21 that would prevent cruise ships from dumping sewage and other waste into coastal waters.

The Clean Cruise Ship Act would establish a no-dumping zone in waters within 12 nautical miles of U.S. shores and strengthen standards for treatment of waste outside of this zone.

The bill would also establish an onboard monitoring program to ensure that ships comply with the law. The Cruise Lines International Association did not respond to the proposal by press time.

“Big cruise ships make for big pollution; it’s an unavoidable truth. Unfortunately, responsible disposal of that waste hasn’t always been a given. The cruise ship industry is way overdue to take responsibility for its actions,” Farr said.