New Protections Enacted for Washington's Marine Waters

An innovative agreement to control wastewater from cruise ships in Washington State waters was signed yesterday by Washington Governor Gary Locke and other key officials.

The agreement between the Port, the Northwest CruiseShip Association and the Washington State Department of Ecology provides new protections for the state's marine waters and contains high compliance standards, stringent monitoring requirements and accountability to the public.

"Right from the beginning of the homeport cruise era in Seattle, the Port of Seattle was very clear that we expected nothing less than the highest environmental standards for ourselves and for the cruise lines," said Port of Seattle Commission President Paige Miller. "This agreement reflects that commitment. It goes beyond the very tough Alaska regulations which were previously considered the gold standard of regulations."

The agreement was crafted to promote the use of advanced wastewater treatment technology aboard cruise ships. A report released in February by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation concluded that wastewater treated by these systems is not expected to cause toxicity in the marine environment and that no human health risk is posed by the effluent they discharge.

The provisions of the agreement include the following:
·Discharge of untreated wastewater is no longer allowed. Only water treated with advanced technology can be discharged. This water contains a fraction of the bacteria and suspended solids allowed under Alaska's rules. Tests show that advanced treatment consistently removes virtually all suspended solids and fecal coliform bacteria. This is not merely treated wastewater - it is cleaned wastewater. In fact, it is as clean as the water discharged from land-based municipal wastewater systems in the state of Washington.
·If a ship discharges at berth, the agreement requires continuous monitoring and final ultraviolet light 'polishing' of the water immediately before discharge, whether or not bacteria is detected.
·Proof of reliable emergency shutdown procedures for wastewater treatment system failure is required.
·Strict adherence to the waste management practices of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) is required. The ICCL standards specify the appropriate handling for every type of waste generated on board a ship, from sewage to flashlight batteries.
·Cruise lines are required to conduct sophisticated tests to measure the marine life toxicity of wastewater.
·A high level of documentation and accountability to the public is built into the agreement. The cruise ships must provide DOE with independent laboratory reports from Alaska and Washington, laboratory reports for the previous six months (including reports from areas not covered by the agreement, such as the Caribbean), treatment system schematics, Coast Guard certifications, emergency plans and sampling plans. The data will provide a rich source for future research and evaluation.

Existing laws and regulations that cover wastewater discharges are in no way weakened by the agreement. In fact, the new monitoring requirements will make it easier to discover violations if they occur.

"The cruise industry has agreed to requirements that are similar to what's imposed on on-shore facility," said Linda Hoffman, Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. "There will be high visibility, which translates to high accountability."

"The bottom line is that we gain a lot through this agreement," said Governor Locke. "We will foster an important maritime industry while raising the level of protection as the ships pass through our treasured and vulnerable marine waters."