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Packed with resources to be consumed by passengers, the cruise industry produces more waste than it can hold, bringing up concerns over the discharges from vessels and the impacts on the environment. Presently, there is no formally written record as to how the Inside Passage is impacted by the waste discharges from cruise vessels.
We can only assume that if the capacity to flush waste adequately is not present in the Inside Passage, the environment can potentially be harmed. This report explores these concerns and a potential environmental impact of the growing foreign cruise ship industry, presents a responsible and reasonable resolution for these problems and concerns, and provides funding possibilities.
History of Regulations Even before the United States bought Alaska, the fur trade, gold rush and many other prosperous industries sparked a growing interest that has continued to lure millions up to Alaska. Today, that interest is what keeps the cruise ship industry a vital part of the economy of Alaska. Because of this possible increase, the number of ships and the amount of waste needing to be disposed of could also be expected to grow Table 1.
Early, in the past century, ships discharged sewage, trash, galley and shower water overboard without consideration of the impact on the surrounding environment. This regulation was passed not to protect the environment but because of the concern that the waste being discharged would eventually fill in and close channels and waterways.
The most influential and important set of maritime environment regulations passed in the history of ocean transportation is the International Maritime Organizations out of treaties, which began in as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil and later developed into MARPOL. According to the web site www. Specifically, the MARPOL treaties presently in force or under development regulate oil pollution, noxious liquid substances, hazardous packaging, sewage, garbage, and smoke emissions.
While some of these international pollution prevention laws have yet to be passed, the majority is presently in effect and enforced around the world. The issues involving vessels are being constantly addressed and amended, though some may never be resolved. In many cases, U. All of these environmental laws apply to cruise ships. While most of the discharges were discovered in the waters off Florida, some of the illegal discharges occurred in Alaska waters Figure 5.
This Task Force set out to identify ways to reduce the potentially negative impacts of the cruise industry on Alaska's environment, which led to the modifications of cruise ship practices. An article by Michele Brown in the March 17, Anchorage Daily News, reported the cruise industry voluntarily committed to no waste discharges in "donut-holes" Figure 1. Existing laws allow donut holes to become areas where the discharge of untreated sewage and sinkable, non-plastic ground up garbage is legal.
Because of the sensitivity in Alexander Archipelago these donutholes could potentially lead to dead zones as well as harmful affects on the ecosystem due to restricted water exchange and flushing rate. To collect information on the discharges from vessels Alaska State legislators are exploring the potential regulation that would require marine water reports of all incidents "in which they know or suspect that a vessel has pumped out waste" The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 20 April During the tourist season, U. Coast Guard USCG aircraft and vessels routinely patrolled the waters transited by major cruise ships to ensure vessels were complying with environmental laws.
Furthermore, the USCG conducted environmental inspections and "sampling of effluents each overboard discharge point on every major cruise ship" twice during the summer Massey, 2 June These inspections took samples of treated sewage and gray water water from galleys and showers. The Alaska Cruise Ship Task Force review of the samples showed that the marine sanitation devices used by cruise ships were not adequately processing sewage, as the fecal coliform and Total Suspended Solids criteria prescribed by 33 Code of Federal Regulations Part were not being met.
On December 21, Congress passed an amendment P. The bill, cosponsored by Alaska State Senator Frank Murkowski, placed regulations on gray water, untreated and treated sewage while requiring discharge sampling to ensure absolute compliance with regulations. Even before the passing of the amendment, the cruise industry met with Governor Tony Knowles in November and voluntarily agreed to comply with the higher standards in the proposed legislation.
Furthermore, Senate Bill No. Beyond requirements and regulations, it is up to the cruise industry to decide whether or not to follow set rules and minimize impact on the environment. With the lack of comprehensive environmental regulations that continue to allow the discharge of untreated gray water along with illegal acts of discharging, the Southeast Alaskan environment remains at risk. In the past, Alaskans, as well as others have learned from experience that existing regulations are sometimes not followed and are in many cases not adequate and consequently the environment suffers.
The greatest concern at the moment is that if the cruise lines comply with all regulations on discharges, would the regulations be adequate to protect the environment from human waste, refuse and other discharges. In an effort to reduce the environmental impacts of larger and more cruise ships, organizations on both the environmental and industrial sides have proposed potential amendments to the existing environmental laws.
Juneau community groups have voiced concern on the issue of whether the rapid growth of the cruise industry is impacting the environment.
Cruise companies have been credited with helping to minimize negative affects on the environment with technology and a "stronger" commitment to regulations. When cruise ship passengers choose the package that takes them up to Alaska, they are making a choice that is best for them and Alaska. The negative aspect of the cruise industry is the reason why so many have voiced their concern for the environment.
In addition, those approximately , visitors generate a large amount of waste that need disposal. Juneau residents, through involvement in the fishing industry and personal recreation, utilize this waterway throughout the year. During the tourist season, cruise vessels operating in this waterway cause higher traffic rates, which in turn could potentially increase environmental impact.
More specifically, negative impacts on biodiversity can be caused by various factors. This article discusses the issues and impacts associated with coastal tourism , the current status of related environmental affairs and a forecast of tourism in the future. This initiative is called the Green Star Program which will be awarded to cruise lines who show "an interest in maintaining the natural health of water and air quality" Homan, by exceeding current regulations concerning pollution prevention. This page was last modified on 10 November , at These inspections took samples of treated sewage and gray water water from galleys and showers. Local people can also increase their influence on tourism development, as well as improve their jobs and earnings prospects through tourism-related professional training and development of business and organizational skills. A development that has turned out to be a severe problem for many coastal areas in the last decade is the increase in cruise ship tourism.
The magnitude of the impacts is reflected by the amount of waste discharged outside the Gastineau Channel and in "donut-holes". When gray water is discharged around Juneau, currents affect the flushing rate Figures 2 and 3. Assuming that gray water is fresh, warmer than seawater, and combined with personal care products, it will be fairly light in density and stay closer to the surface making the potential affects. In figure 3 , the ebb falling surface current is illustrated by arrows that indicate the direction of the current.
The majority of the arrows are flowing out of the Gastineau Channel which causes greater flushing of water. Unfortunately, during the flood current rising , as shown by figure 2 , the majority of arrows are directed inward where they are met with an adverse current due to the sediment choked estuary in the northern part of Gastineau Channel.
Although cruise vessels are not currently discharging any type of waste in the Gastineau Channel, these current diagrams exhibit the possible restrictive flush rates that can be viewed elsewhere in the Inside Passage which are still subject to cruise ship discharges. According to the Northwest Cruise Ship Association, waste water dilution has a very minimal effect on the surrounding waters. The flushing rates of Southeast Alaska are important to consider in assessing potential environmental impacts of discharges.
Two of the main wastes this report focuses on are solid and liquid wastes. This paper will be discussing many aspects of these two categories including gray water, bilge water, black water, and hazardous wastes.
Liquid wastes that are dispensed by cruise vessels are broken down into sub-categories. Black water is raw sewage. Gray water is water from showers, sinks and galleys. Hazardous wastes are a combination of dry cleaning, photo lab, maintenance, and paint chemicals, and bilge water typically containing oil that leaks from the vessel's machinery. Black Water A typical cruise vessel produces a maximum of , gallons , Sewage generated from cruise ships generally has a higher concentration than domestic sewage, due to the fact that treatment plants on land have greater accessibility to a larger volume of water than treatment processes on cruise vessels.
The Clean Water Act is the main regulation that currently protects Alaska's waters from pollutants that compromise the well being of the Gastineau Channel. Under this act, sewage is defined as a pollutant.
Therefore, it has been established that cruise vessels must meet the standards for marine sanitation devices MSDs presented above. These devices are on-board instruments used to treat or store vessel sewage before dispensing it. Under the recently passed amendment P. Gray Water Gray water consists of wastewater from showers, sinks, laundry and galleys including contaminants such as dental and medical wastes, cooking oil and grease, pesticides, detergents, metals, and cleaners.
These wastes contribute to the breakdown of marine life habitats. Gray water contains levels of fecal coliform which is a result of laundry wastes.
A typical cruise vessel produces a maximum of 1,, gallons 3,, Recently a bill was passed which requires vessels to dispose of gray water 1 mile offshore and moving at a speed of no less than 6 knots. Hazardous Wastes The main hazardous wastes produced onboard cruise vessels include photo processing chemicals, dry cleaning sludge which contains perchlorethylene, or PERC , paint waste, dirty solvents, batteries which contain lead and cadmium, and fluorescent lamp bulbs which contain mercury.
PERC is listed as an extremely hazardous waste that can cause birth defects in humans, cancer, death, reproductive failure, and scarring in fish and other marine life. Over the past summer, further research has shown that the test results which stated that PERC was contained in hazardous waste being discharged in Southeast Alaska were false positives. Cruise ships reportedly collect waste such as PERC and bulbs containing mercury and discharge them to an approved waste handler in port. A typical cruise vessel produces a maximum of 25, gallons 9, The law that regulates disposal of bilge water in Southeast Alaska states that each cruise line is required to maintain a record of all oil activity in an Oil Record Book, and also to have an appropriate amount of oily water separators to separate oil from water that is discharged over the side.
A typical cruise vessel produces a maximum of eight tons 7.
The process of disposal that is most often used by cruise lines is incineration aboard the vessels Figure 4. The ash left over is then either offloaded in Vancover B. However, some cruise lines fail to incinerate their solid waste before dispensing it into Alaska's waters, which allows for the release of plastics which has the potential to harm marine animals through ingestion or entanglement. Under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, it is illegal for cruise vessels to dispose of solid waste within three miles 4.
Marine animals such as whale sharks, seals, dugongs, dolphins, whales, and birds are also disturbed by increased numbers of boats, and by people approaching too closely. Tourism can also add to the consumption of seafood in an area, putting pressure on local fish populations and sometimes contributing to overfishing. Collection of corals, shells, and other marine souvenirs - either by individual tourists, or local people who then sell the souvenirs to tourists - also has a detrimental effect on the local environment.
The increased popularity of cruise ships has also adversely affected the marine environment. Carrying up to 4, passengers and crew, these enormous floating towns are a major source of marine pollution through the dumping of garbage and untreated sewage at sea, and the release of other shipping-related pollutants. A development that has turned out to be a severe problem for many coastal areas in the last decade is the increase in cruise ship tourism. The cruise ship business is the segment that has grown most rapidly during the last decade.
While world international tourist arrivals in the period — grew at an accumulative annual rate of 4. In there were 4. Particularly for many islands in the Caribbean, cruise tourism is an important market segment. In the period from to there was an increase from Meanwhile the number of cruise passengers increased from 7. Tourism can create great pressure on local resources such as energy, food, land and water that may already be in short supply.
Tourism can cause loss of biodiversity in many ways, e. More specifically, negative impacts on biodiversity can be caused by various factors. The main positive economic impacts of sustainable coastal tourism are: Further information on economic contributions of tourism can be found on the website of the World Travel and Tourism Council. Contribution to government revenues Government revenues from the tourism sector can be categorised as direct and indirect contributions.
Direct contributions are generated by income taxes from tourism and employment due to tourism, tourism businesses and by direct charges on tourists such as ecotax. Indirect contributions derive from taxes and duties on goods and services supplied to tourists, for example, taxes on tickets or entry passes to any protected areas , souvenirs, alcohol, restaurants, hotels, service of tour operators. Foreign exchange earnings Tourism expenditures, the export and import of related goods and services generate income to the host economy.
Employment generation The rapid expansion of international tourism has led to significant employment creation. Tourism can generate jobs directly through hotels, restaurants, taxis, souvenir sales and indirectly through the supply of goods and services needed by tourism-related businesses; for e. Stimulation of infrastructure investment Tourism can influence the local government to improve the infrastructure by creating better water and sewage systems, roads, electricity, telephone and public transport networks.
All this can improve the standard of living for residents as well as facilitate tourism. Contribution to local economies Tourism can be a significant or even an essential part of the local economy. Part of the tourism income comes from informal employment, such as street vendors and informal guides. The positive side of informal or unreported employment is that the money is returned to the local economy and has a great multiplier effect as it is spent over and over again.
Direct financial contributions to nature protection Tourism can contribute directly to the conservation of sensitive areas and habitats. Revenue from park-entrance fees and similar sources can be allocated specifically to pay for the protection and management of environmentally sensitive areas. Some governments collect money in more far-reaching and indirect ways that are not linked to specific parks or conservation areas.
User fees, income taxes, taxes on sales or rental of recreation equipment and license fees for activities such as hunting and fishing can provide governments with the funds needed to manage natural resources. Competitive advantage More and more tour operators take an active approach towards sustainability. Not only because consumers expect them to do so but also because they are aware that intact destinations are essential for the long term survival of the tourism industry.
More and more tour operators prefer to work with suppliers who act in a sustainable manner, e. Sound and efficient environmental management of tourism facilities and especially hotels e. Planning helps to make choices between the conflicting interests of industry and tourism, in order to find ways to make them compatible. By planning sustainable tourism development strategy at an early stage,prevents damages and expensive mistakes , thereby avoiding the gradual deterioration of the quality of environmental goods and services significant to tourism.
Tourism as a force for peace Travelling brings people into contact with each other. As sustainable tourism has an educational element it can foster understanding between people and cultures and provide cultural exchange between guests and hosts. This increases the chances for people to develop mutual sympathy, tolerance and understanding and to reduce prejudices and promote the sense of global brotherhood.
Strengthening communities Sustainable Coastal Tourism can add to the vitality of communities in many ways. The jobs created by tourism can act as a very important motivation to reduce emigration from rural areas. Local people can also increase their influence on tourism development, as well as improve their jobs and earnings prospects through tourism-related professional training and development of business and organizational skills.