The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation cited a Holland America Line cruise ship in Haines for violating air emissions standards—one of eight cruise ships cited for the same violation in Southeast and Seward this summer.
On June 20, a DEC enforcement officer observed the Westerdam’s exhaust emissions exceed the state’s legal opacity limit. DEC issued the company a notice of violation on Sept. 7.
“Opacity is an indicator for air pollution,” DEC cruise ship program manager Edward White said. “It applies to all marine vessels not just cruise ships. You take a look at the opacity of the exhaust from a ship. No more than 20 percent of the light can be blocked by the emissions.”
Such emissions include excess levels of nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and other particulates that are harmful to human health and the environment, White said, and the limit is based on what a “well- functioning engine should be capable of performing.”
In Skagway, DEC enforcement officers also cited Holland America’s vessel Nieuw Amsterdam for violating emissions standards on June 19 and the Princess Cruise Line’s Star Princess for discharge of treated wastewater while docked on May 8 and May 16.
White said DEC tries to send an observer to Haines once per year, but the bulk of their observations occur in Juneau and Ketchikan. Nine violations were issued to cruise companies in total this summer for air quality violations, more than in the past three years combined. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line and Princess Cruise Line were among the companies issued air quality violations.
The DEC has issued three notices of violation for unauthorized wastewater discharges to cruise ship companies and 11 companies were issued violations for exceeding permitted effluent limits, which could include exceeding limits of chlorine, PH or bacteria, White said. DEC tracked 26 such exceedances statewide, but only 11 were issued notices of violations.
White said DEC typically issues one unauthorized wastewater discharge violation each year, and the three issued this year were high. White said DEC also received more citizen complaints this summer compared to prior years.
The violation notices have been forwarded to the Alaska Department of Law for settlement. For air quality violations, cruise ship companies have paid up to $37,000 in fines during the past several years, White said.
Holland America did not respond to questions by press time.
The last time an air quality violation was issued in Haines was in 2010.