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| © Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations Office PHOTO: Norwegian Jewel in Juneau, Alaska. (photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line) |
By Donald Wood, TravelPulse
Environmental officials in Alaska have issued notices to several cruise lines announcing air quality standard violations for eight ships.
According to The Associated Press, the Alaskan Department of Environmental Conservation reported a total of nine violations, with four being issued to Holland America Line, two being issued to Princess Cruises, two being issued to Royal Caribbean and one being issued to Norwegian Cruise Line.
After the notices were sent to the offending cruise lines, the Department of Law took over the case and could issue fines as high as $46,000. When assessing the penalties, Alaskan officials will consider any measures the companies have taken to improve emissions.
“We base that on the compliance history of the ship or the reading, or if the operator is taking corrective actions,” Alaska’s cruise ship monitoring program manager Ed White said.
The majority of the violations occurred in Ketchikan where the monitoring staff is located. The group of Alaskan environmental officials conduct opacity tests to determine a ship’s emissions, with the darker exhaust fumes more likely to contain pollution.
