Cruise ships are typically registered under flags of various foreign countries but must comply with many requirements to be able to take on passengers at United States ports. Cruise ships must comply with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and other international regulations, including environmental protection. The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for cruise ship safety and conducts routine inspection to ensure compliance.
Most regulations for large ships, which includes cruise ships along with marine cargo ships and other oceangoing vessels, are made at the international level through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) within the IMO addresses environmental issues related to shipping, including air and water pollution, garbage, underwater noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Air quality regulations
One key regulation to protect local air quality is the North American Emissions Control Area, which requires all ships to meet rigorous emission standards and limit the sulfur content in their exhaust. Some cruise lines choose to comply with the law by using low sulfur fuels, like marine gas oil, whereas other ships choose to use exhaust gas cleaning systems. Exhaust gas cleaning systems are a relatively new technology that some ships use to reduce the amount of sulfur oxide and particulate matter emitted in the ship’s exhaust to comply with the legal emissions limits.
Water quality regulations
The Port of Seattle, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Cruise Lines International Association Northwest and Canada have signed a voluntary memorandum of understanding (MOU) to prevent wastewater discharges from cruise ships into Washington state waters. The MOU was first signed in 2004. The agreement also allows Department of Ecology to inspect wastewater treatment systems on each vessel and requires that cruise lines sample and monitor wastewater discharges from their ships. In recent years there have been no requests to discharge treated wastewater.
In 2018, Washington passed a law making Puget Sound a ‘No Discharge Zone, a law that applies to commercial and recreational vessels and prohibits the release of sewage, whether treated or not.
