Alaskan environmental managers issued air quality violations to eight cruise ships earlier this month for violations throughout the summer cruise season.
According to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) figures, as of 7th September this year, the nine air quality violations -one ship received two violation notices.
The number of violation notices handed out thus far in 2018 was higher than the last three years combined, as only two violations were handed out last year and zero violations were issued in 2015 and 2016.
The ‘Notices of Violation’, were passed on to the Alaska Department of Law for further action, which could result in fines as high as $46,192, according to the DEC.
Monitors at located at cruise berths throughout Alaska measure the exhaust being emitted from the vessel’s funnel with a visual test of opacity.
Holland America Line (HAL) came out top with four violations from four ships. Princess Cruise Line received two violations for two ships, while Royal Caribbean’s ‘Radiance of the Seas’ was cited twice – once in Ketchikan in on 8th August and again in Seward nine days later. NCL’s ‘Norwegian Jewel’ was also cited.
Meanwhile, water quality violations in Alaska this year included Princess Cruise Line, which had the ‘Star Princess’ and the ‘Emerald Princess’ cited twice each.
Other ships that were issued wastewater discharge violations were ‘Noordam’ (Holland America Line), ‘Seaborn Sojourn’ (Seabourn Cruise Line), ‘Golden Princess’ (Princess Cruise Line), ‘Ruby Princess’ (Princess Cruise Line), ‘Eurodam’ (Holland America Line), ‘Volendam’ (Holland America Line) and ‘Island Princess’ (Princess Cruise Line).
