Regulations sought for cruise industry

To support their case for local regulations for Charleston's growing cruise industry, the Coastal Conservation League flew in a panel of experts from around the country and beyond for a public forum Wednesday night.

Some 300 people filled a ballroom in the Francis Marion Hotel to hear what the experts had to say. Notably absent was State Ports Authority Chief Executive Jim Newsome, who said last week that the league and other members of a city task force had agreed to discuss cruise issues in that venue.

Charleston expects a record 67 cruise calls this year, and to move forward on a master plan for revamping its passenger terminal and surrounding waterfront acreage. Some health and environmental advocates argue that that makes perfect timing for new standards.

If the Board of Architectural Review will scrutinize the shade of paint for a building, Charleston should treat the influx of so-called "floating cities" the same, said league Executive Director Dana Beach.

"Federal regulations are not enough," he said.

Friends of the Earth legislative associate Neesha Kulkarni, who works in Washington, D.C., said cruise lines must comply with the Clean Water Act, which hasn't been updated since 1976.

Ships must travel at least 3 nautical miles offshore before dumping treated trash, and can dump untreated refuse at least 12 nautical miles offshore.

Kulkarni pointed out that some states -- Alaska, California, Maine and

Hawaii -- have their own, stiffer laws, and that Washington state and Florida use memoranda of understanding with the cruise lines.

SPA officials contend that the ships scheduled to call Charleston this year, from the Celebrity and Carnival lines, exceed federal regulations. As members of the Cruise Lines International Association, they pledge not to discharge anything within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline.

In a position paper provided to The Post and Courier, SPA officials wrote, "We could not support the establishment of local ordinances to regulate cruise."

Joe Payne, the professional steward of Casco Bay in Maine, pushed for and achieved a law in 2004 to curb cruise-ship discharges for the Portland area. He stressed that a memorandum of understanding carries no legal consequences.

"There is a virtual sign to Portland Harbor, and that says to cruise ships, 'We've put out the welcome mat, so wipe your feet,' " Payne said.

Ross Klein, a professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland who runs cruise industry watchdog Web sites, showed a list of violations by a host of ships, and also the relatively low return they deliver to the community.

While a recent study by College of Charleston professors estimates a $37 million local economic impact this year, Klein said other studies show that the average cruise ship passenger might contribute little more than $40 to a port city.

That's because cruise companies take cuts from local vendors and purchase from out-of-state suppliers, according to Klein.

"Cruise lines need ports more than ports need cruise lines," he said, adding that cities should use that power.

Local physician Rick Reed said fine-particle pollution from diesel exhaust contains 40 hazardous air pollutants known to cause cancer and lung damage, and that more than 4,000 medical papers have linked breathing in that pollution to early death.

He also touched on what he called "the Bubba effect," describing a lazy, gluttonous tourist consuming shipped goods en masse and leaving little to stimulate local economies.

"All the things that are wrong with our society today are wrapped up in the cruise industry," Reed said.

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.