Pollution on the High Seas

Polluting the ocean waters remains a problematic concern. Perhaps due to their immense size, oceans are thought to be indestructible; however, they too have their limits.

One problem with current regulations for oceans is that the Clean Water Act is 30 years old. A great deal of advancement has been made in cruise ship numbers and sizes in the past 30 years, and yet no revisions have been made to keep the waters safe. Since the regulation is more lax than it should be, cruise lines are allowing their ships to keep outdated, inefficient water treatment equipment on board. While they are complying with the regulations as set forth, they are not doing the oceans any favors.

The Environmental Protection Agency notes that cruising popularity has increased dramatically over the past decade. Growing almost twice as fast as any other transportation mode, many ships average about 8,000 passengers per voyage. Cruise ship sewage and gray water has increased accordingly, with about 200,000 gallons of sewage and one million gallons of gray water on average are generated on board just one cruise ship on one week.

Although there are regulations in place that ensure solid wastes are incinerated and returned to the soil as nutrients, cruise ships are allowed to dump raw waste in unregulated amounts a mere three nautical miles or more from shore anywhere in the United States. There is also the matter of port side dumping; a process that is also over 30 years old. A few states, such as California, Alaska and Maine have anti-dumping laws in place for port side.

It is obvious that laws and regulations must be revised and bolstered in the interests of wildlife and marine life as well as for the longevity and the quality of our waters. Many organizations that are part of the regulatory process insist that procedures currently in place are much improved, and that the manner in which sewage is being treated is equal to or higher than the criteria requires. And there is evidence that a certain percentage of today’s cruise ships are employing more advanced technology in attempts to clean up the process. Even still, many of the serious viruses and bacterium that threaten our health are likely ending up in ocean waters.

Oceans may be immense, but they are not without limits. Immediate and continuous action must be taken to protect these valuable resources.