Cruising

©  2009  Rose George

US politicians yesterday introduced legislation that would stop cruise ships from dumping sewage in coastal waters. When I was at the Port of Felixstowe last week, I noticed a list of dumping regulations on the wall of the mess room. I don’t remember the exact details, but I remember being shocked that any ship could dump garbage and paper anywhere, outside certain limits. So I suppose it’s not surprising that cruise ships are allowed to dump their sewage only three miles offshore. I am no oceanographer but surely tides bring things into shore? Senator Richard Durbin (DIll) and Representative Sam Farr (D-Calif)’s Clean Cruise Ship Act would establish a no-dumping zone of 12 miles from US shores. When some ships carry as many as 7000 passengers and crew, that is after all a lot of sewage. More from Friends of the Earth here.