California Environmental Regulations Outpacing U.S. Regulations
The State of California is proving to be an environmental minefield for ports and ship operators as various environment groups step up pressure for more legislation and regulation, and with a stranded woodchip carrier now leaking oil on an Oregon beach, other West Coast states are now studying Califronia's concerns. In January, the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic forwarded a notice of intent to sue the Port of Oakland and the USACE if a full review of the port's proposed 50 ft dredging project was not conducted under a set timetable. Written on behalf of the Center for Marine Conservation and San Francisco BayKeeper - two local environmental…
Cruise Safety Enviro Record Good
Despite a rash of failures at sea and high-profile legal cases regarding illegal dumping, cruise shipping remains one of the safest and environmentally conscious modes of transportation available, according to a recently released report. The International Council of Cruise Lines cited the General Accounting Office (GAO) Report released to Congress as acknowledgement of the high degree of compliance by the cruise industry with U.S. environmental regulations. The GAO report, "Fewer Incidents by Cruise Ships Reported, But Important Issues Remain,'' states that, during the period from 1993-1998, the U.S. Coast Guard recorded 2,395 illegal discharges from all non-U.S. vessels, of which only 87 were from passenger ships.
