Cruise line pays $55,000 to settle smoke claims
Date: 07-Sep-01
Country: USA
The payment settles claims made by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that the company's ships released thicker smoke than is permitted into the air at Juneau's harbor last summer.
The alleged violations were committed by the Mercury and the Galaxy, the state Department of Law said.
Celebrity, based in Miami, was among seven companies cited by the DEC for opacity violations alleged during the 2000 cruise season, said Assistant Attorney General Chris Kennedy.
Settlement negotiations are underway with the other companies cited, Kennedy said.
The charges were made in a letter sent from DEC to the company that sought $27,500 for each incident, Kennedy said. The company agreed to pay that, so the case never reached the level of a civil or criminal complaint, he said.
Under the settlement agreement, Celebrity did not admit or deny violating state air-emissions standards.
In a news release, state officials said they were satisfied with the way the case turned out.
"This settlement represents another positive step by the state and Celebrity Cruises to resolve environmental concerns raised over the last several years," state Attorney General Bruce Botelho said.
Cruise ship pollution has been the subject of increasing concern as the industry's Alaska traffic has grown here in recent years.
A new law passed by the legislature in June and signed by Gov. Tony Knowles made Alaska the first U.S. state to regulate wastewater discharges from cruise ships.
The law, which went into effect on July 1, also expanded the state's authority to regulate air emissions from cruise ships.
