The environmental standards that apply to the cruise line industry are stringent and comprehensive. Cruise lines operate within a comprehensive scheme of international environmental standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships(MARPOL) sets strict standards for all commercial vessels to prevent ship-generated pollution. The cruise line industry meets or exceeds all applicable international, federal and state requirements.

It is important to note that all ships visiting ports, regardless of where they are flagged, must comply with all federal regulations. For example, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Web site, they have “the responsibility for ensuring that these ships meet all international conventions and domestic requirements for safety, security and environmental protection.”

There are strict standards for how clean the wastewater must be before it is discharged into the sea. In addition to the IMO standards, in early 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new and expanded rules under the Vessel General Permit System that regulate any and all forms of vessel discharge, including those not previously covered by the U.S. Clean Water Act. Our industry has designed and implemented treatment technologies along with practices and procedures to meet – and in most cases exceed – these requirements. In many cases, the purified wastewater effluent from a cruise ship is cleaner than that of many municipalities.

In its December 2008 Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report, the EPA commended the industry for its solid waste management practices, which surpass the practices of most municipalities in the U.S. The report noted the cruise industry’s overall environmental standards are “designed to increase compliance with regulatory regimes, and in some cases incorporate voluntary standards and procedures that go beyond what is required by law or regulation.”

Air emissions, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, are also regulated at the international, federal and state levels. According to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships(MARPOL Annex VI), cruise ships with diesel engines are issued an Engine International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate. The vessel’s flag state certifies that the ship meets the international emission limits. Similarly, going beyond what is required by regulators, new technologies being used by cruise lines further reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Additionally, every cruise line must also adhere to theInternational Maritime Organization’s International Safety Management Code. This code requires documentation of environmental practices and a goal of continuous improvement. A number of our member lines also have taken the extra step to be independently certified under ISO 14001, the international and U.S. gold standard for environmental management systems. These programs require cruise lines to continually identify ways to improve their ships’ environmental performance. The cruise lines must then implement controls and improvements through company policies and procedures. By doing so, their programs are not only inspected and certified by their flag states but they can also be inspected and enforced by port states.