Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Resumes Cruise Ship Monitoring Program
Source: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Seventeen cruise ships are scheduled to visit Santa Barbara between March and April this year. With the exception of one, all of them have grades of D or F for water quality impacts, according to Friends of the Earth’s Cruise Ship Monitoring Report Card. Three of the visiting ships receive “F” grades for air pollution. Two of the visiting cruise ship lines committed criminal violations of environmental laws between 2017 to 2021.
Prompted by concerns such as these, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s cruise ship monitoring program has relaunched, and will engage a select number of cruise ships as they arrive in our area. By communicating with captains upon arrival, the organization’s cruise ship monitoring program aims to safeguard the coastal environment and provide accountability through watchful presence.
Cruise ships generate enormous volumes of waste. A typical cruise ship generates 30,000 gallons of sewage, 250,000 gallons of greywater (wastewater from galleys, showers, sinks, and laundry), 5,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 15 gallons of toxic chemicals, and seven tons of solid waste, as well as air pollution equal to that of 12,000 cars—every day.
The City of Santa Barbara asks that captains make a voluntary commitment to refrain from using incinerators and discharging sewage or greywater within 12 miles of Santa Barbara Harbor. However, monitoring compliance with these agreements relies largely on good faith that the captains and crew will abide by these commitments. Channelkeeper’s cruise ship monitoring program attempts to address monitoring gaps by providing additional vigilance.
As ships enter the 12-mile, voluntary no-discharge zone, Channelkeeper staff, aboard the organization’s 31-foot vessel, hail the captain via marine radio to remind the crew of the no-discharge commitment and to let them know that Channelkeeper will monitor for discharges during the ship’s time in the Santa Barbara Channel.
“The cruise ship captains are generally polite, though surprised, to encounter our team out in the Channel,” says Channelkeeper’s Science and Policy Director, Benjamin Pitterle. “It's clear that they aren't used to being monitored in most of the places that they travel.”
Channelkeeper recently proposed that the City of Santa Barbara also consider adopting an additional vessel speed reduction requirement as part of the voluntary commitments to lower the risk of ship strikes for whales in our channel.
From November to May, approximately 19,000 gray whales migrate along the South Coast. In addition, the abundance of krill in the Santa Barbara Channel provides feeding grounds for the largest blue whale population in the world and attracts high densities of several endangered baleen whale species, including humpback and fin whales. These sensitive marine mammals are vulnerable to ship strikes.
Vessel speed reduction requirements are an effective way to decrease propulsion engine emissions and fuel consumption. The organization believes that an additional vessel speed reduction requirement could help reduce the risk of ship strikes for whales in our channel while also lowering harmful greenhouse gas emissions produced by cruise ships. This recommendation is aligned with current regulations implemented by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. Channelkeeper also suggested that the City establish a committee to evaluate public opinion of its cruise ship program, especially related to climate change goals.
“We look forward to working with City leaders to identify and help develop solutions that help us reach goals related to climate change and keep our environment, economy, and community healthy,” said Channelkeeper’s Executive Director, Ted Morton.
In the meantime, Channelkeeper staff will continue to monitor cruise ships via regular marine patrols as part of the organization’s ongoing work to help protect water and air quality in the Santa Barbara Channel.
About Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper was founded in 1999 as a program of the Environmental Defense Center and became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2001. For more than 20 years, the organization has worked to protect water quality, restore aquatic ecosystems, advocate for clean water, enforce environmental laws, and educate and engage citizens in implementing solutions to water pollution and aquatic habitat degradation.
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Mar 30, 2022 09:28 AMThank you Channelkeeper! It would also be nice to monitor the ships without notifying the captains, to see what they are trying to sneak past us (and into the ocean).
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Mar 30, 2022 09:46 AMI would bet UCSB puts out more waste and pollutants per day than visiting cruise ship. UCSB does it 24-7, 365 days a year!!!
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Mar 30, 2022 10:14 AMSAIL - I'm not anti-cruise ship, but curious how UCSB pollutes and dumps waste? Do they not use our city sewer system? How many buildings are running giant diesel engines? Does UCSB pollute/expel waste more than other facilities? Honestly curious.
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Mar 30, 2022 12:34 PMI'm not anti cruise ship either. Check out how this report for much diesel and how many storage tanks UCSB has. All for their big generators!! That's why they have this plan in place.
https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/ec/UCSB_SPCC_Plan.pdf
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Mar 30, 2022 01:19 PMSAIL - It's a spill prevention plan. It's not really evidence that they pollute and generate more waste than a cruise ship. But even if so, does it matter? Are we to demand UCSB removes all generators?
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Mar 30, 2022 01:41 PMYes SACJON. Remove the pollution spewing machines from UCSB!!! It is much to close to the beautiful coast to have that much potential spillage into the environment. No one will die if UCSB is out of power for a day or two. Some of the smartest people who ever lived did it with out the environmental disaster called air conditioning . If you read into the report it specifies how many tens of thousand of gallons diesel and gasoline and how many tanks are on the campus.
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Mar 30, 2022 01:52 PMSAIL - What are the generators used for? AC only? How do you feel about off shore oil drilling then?
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Mar 30, 2022 02:05 PMSorry SACJON I should have helped you by not clumping to much together at one time. AC is its own separate environmental disaster. Remember the hole in the Ozone, Skin Cancer?? And yes when the power is out, AC is the biggest draw on the generators. Lighting load is reduced to emergency lighting and that is mostly low draw LED now.
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Mar 30, 2022 02:09 PMSAIL - I don't need help, just curious how you think UCSB will operate without generators? It's far more than AC being powered. Even if just AC, it's needed for the labs and other facilities that need to remain a certain temperature.
If you want something as drastic as shutting down and removing all generators at a massive research university, I wonder what the alternative is?
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Mar 30, 2022 02:22 PMThe alternative is not closing down functioning nuclear power plants and mandating unreliable/weather dependent energy sources while simultaneously not providing reliable replacements for the lost generation to avoid rolling brownouts when it gets hot nor hardening our distribution infrastructure to avoid the need to shut down on windy days. But that alternative would require a dose of practically, something that left California over a decade ago and hasn't looked back.
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Mar 30, 2022 02:26 PM2:22 (VOICE) - not sure you understand what is being discussed here. I asked what the alternative to generators at UCSB would be.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:18 PMWhat's with all the comments about nuclear energy? This article is about cruise ship pollution. Are the new cruise ships nuke powered?
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Mar 30, 2022 02:35 PMMove them to the Prairie where a spill wont hurt our beautiful coast.. That was your suggestion on another thread!!
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Mar 30, 2022 02:43 PM2:22 - How hard is it to keep your eyes closed regarding all the problems associated with Diablo in particular, and fission power in general?
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Mar 30, 2022 02:46 PMSAIL - move the generators that power UCSB to the prairie? Oh..... is this like a joke or something? I thought you were serious.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:05 PM@2:22 you do know that even when they shut it down the nuclear material stays on-site? They're not moving it anywhere so why not keep using it while it's there to provide continued carbon free energy. If you can list a few please do, but I'm rather confident the problems with Diablo and fission power in general are significantly smaller than the continued (and increased if we're shutting down plants like this) use of fossil fuels for energy. but I wouldn't expect you to open your eyes to that considering you think climate change is an existential threat to the human race and we're all doomed to war, famine, and death in a decade if we don't take extreme action now.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:18 PMhttps://www.noozhawk.com/article/nrc_didnt_properly_inspect_diablo_canyon_equipment_ahead_of_leak_report
https://www.independent.com/2022/03/29/unsettling-and-unacceptable-negligence-uncovered-at-diablo-canyon/
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Mar 30, 2022 03:41 PMSo you didn't read the article.....
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Mar 30, 2022 03:42 PMThings SAILed off into the energy misinformation universe.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:43 PM3:41 - Obviously, you still have your eyes closed if you think those articles don't highlight a huge problem with Diablo, and nuclear fission regulation in general.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:48 PMSounds like a government problem not a nuclear problem.
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Mar 30, 2022 04:40 PM3:48 - Riiight. If a regulator doesn't force you to be safe, it's all OK.
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Mar 30, 2022 09:14 PM@2:43 exactly what problems are there with Diablo?
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Mar 30, 2022 10:55 AMI would bet SAIL actually has no clue - see how that works?
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Mar 30, 2022 01:49 PMActually SAIL has better than a clue. I hear he works for a department in charge of those kind of things.
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Mar 30, 2022 02:00 PMI hear differently. See how that works?
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Mar 31, 2022 09:59 AMI hear that anyone can pretend to be anyone while commenting anonymously on the Internet. Lmao
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Mar 31, 2022 10:23 AMCHILLIN - right? I know Sacjon and Voice of Reason are actually the same person, arguing with himself just to practice his debate skills. Sacjon is a pretty amazing actor (and pole vaulter) as well!
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Mar 30, 2022 12:27 PMSeems like no one or no company should be above the law. By the way, just a little research shows that though the current head of the family is dedicated to Miami and the cruise business, the father after making many many millions renounced US citizenship to avoid inheritance taxes. These ships would be more welcome if they followed the law and made their operations cleaner.
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Mar 30, 2022 01:27 PMWhich laws are they not following?
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Mar 30, 2022 02:37 PMWhat I really want to know is if they pee over the side while watching for sewage spills??
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Mar 30, 2022 02:44 PMJust more con crudity.
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Mar 30, 2022 03:54 PMThank you so much for this important work, Channelkeeper.
And here's hoping the pax & crew don't spread airborne infections onshore as well.
The Ruby Princess, due here on 4/18, offloaded covid-positive cases in SF a few days ago.
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Mar 30, 2022 09:02 PMDisgusting!!!
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Mar 30, 2022 04:15 PMHave any ships in the past refused to comply with the request?
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Mar 30, 2022 06:18 PMall I can tell from this. Sail380 really doesnt like cruise ships
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Mar 30, 2022 08:54 PMSAIL has no problem with cruise ships. I like seeing them off the coast.
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Mar 30, 2022 07:01 PMA cruise ship (900–1,100 feet) carries between 1 - 2 million gallons of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) equals to 23,810 - 46, 620 barrels of oil . HFO's are extremely viscous, break down slowly and extremely hard to clean up. This could create an environmental disaster if the ship were to run aground and leak.
The 1969 Santa Barbara Oil spill involved 80,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil . Within a ten-day period, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 barrels (13,000 to 16,000 m3) of crude oil spilled into the Channel and onto the beaches of Santa Barbara County in Southern California, fouling the coastline from Goleta to Ventura as well as the northern shores of the four northern Channel Islands. The spill had a significant impact on marine life in the Channel, killing an estimated 3,500 sea birds, as well as marine animals such as dolphins, elephant seals, and sea lions. The public outrage engendered by the spill, which received prominent media coverage in the United States, resulted in numerous pieces of environmental legislation within the next several years, legislation that forms the legal and regulatory framework for the modern environmental movement in the U.S
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Mar 31, 2022 08:04 AMAnyone remember the Costa Concordia which sank in 2012? 32 people died and it ended up costing 2 billion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia
Most if not all Cruise ships that anchor in Santa Barbara are owned by Carnival. In 2018 a federal judge wanted to ban Carnival from all ports in the USA .
According to court filings, reported by the Miami Herald, the cruise line “sought to avoid unfavorable findings by preparing ships in advance of court-ordered audits, falsified records, dumped plastic garbage into the ocean and illegally discharged gray water into Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/12/business/carnival-ships-blocked-judge-threats-trnd/index.html
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Mar 31, 2022 08:05 AMThe Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival as well
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Mar 31, 2022 08:08 AMThe Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival as well
Norwegian Escape, a 2015-built megaship which can accommodate over 4,000 passengers, hit the seabed as it pulled away from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic on Monday, damaging the ship's hull.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/norwegian-escape-cruise-runs-aground/index.html
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Mar 31, 2022 08:19 AM2022
Norwegian Escape, a 2015-built megaship which can accommodate over 4,000 passengers, hit the seabed as it pulled away from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic on Monday, damaging the ship's hull.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/norwegian-escape-cruise-runs-aground/index.html
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Mar 30, 2022 08:10 PMIn 2013, SB spent $31,500 on police to manage cruise ship traffic, in 2016 they spent $42,000 on police
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Mar 30, 2022 09:04 PMThese cruise ships are so gross. Thankful for ChannelKeeper! They accept donations for anyone interested in supporting this cause.
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Mar 30, 2022 11:38 PMPer a request by out-of-town friends, we were dining at SB FisHouse when a "boatload" of petrie dish passengers from this ship (the Koningsdam) completely filled the restaurant. Wouldn't be surprised if one of us get breakthrough covid :(
https://www.independent.com/2022/03/30/cruise-ship-in-santa-barbara-harbor-gets-f-grade/
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Mar 31, 2022 07:14 AMThank you Channelkeeper!
If possible, please keep a low profile and monitor water discharges in the wee hours,
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Mar 31, 2022 11:13 AMI doubt that the City of SB will ever stop welcoming these ships, and most likely the numbers of visits will simply go up and up. Too much money is made by all involved, so there certainly is a financial incentive to keep 'em sailin' to our fair city. Was down in the waterfront area when the passengers were swarming like bees just about everywhere. One couple was about to embark on a trip to Solvang, which shows you that the money these people spend is not concentrated just in the immediate downtown/wharf/harbor areas.
As a side note, if you've been on a cruise and eaten the food, it's "fun" and interesting for a couple days, but then you get to jonesing for a street taco, local fare, or a private sit-down meal without 200 other yabba-dabbas in the dining hall staring at you.
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Mar 31, 2022 02:21 PMPrincess Cruise was so sorry for dumping in the ocean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxNcX2FBOMM
But that didn't last long Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Princess Cruise Lines Pleads Guilty to Second Revocation of Probation
Company Convicted of Violating Court Ordered Environmental Compliance Program
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/princess-cruise-lines-pleads-guilty-second-revocation-probation
Princess was convicted and sentenced in April 2017 and fined $40 million after pleading guilty to felony charges stemming from its deliberate dumping of oil-contaminated waste from one of its vessels and intentional acts to cover it up. This was and remains the largest-ever criminal fine for intentional pollution from ships. While serving five years of probation, all Carnival-related cruise line vessels trading in U.S. ports were required to comply with a court approved and supervised environmental compliance plan (ECP), including audits by an outside and independent third-party auditor (TPA) and oversight by a Court Appointed Monitor (CAM).
In 2019, Princess was convicted of six violations of probation, fined an additional $20 million, and required to undertake more remedial measures. In that case, two of the violations involved interfering with the court’s supervision of probation by sending undisclosed teams to ships to prepare them for the independent inspections required during probation. Documents filed in court showed that one purpose of the vessel visit programs was to avoid adverse findings by the independent outside auditors working on behalf of the court.
Beginning with the first year of probation, there have been repeated findings that the Company’s internal investigation program was and is inadequate. In November 2021, the Office of Probation issued a petition to revoke probation after adverse findings by the CAM and TPA.
In an October 2021 letter to U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz, the CAM and TPA concluded that the continuing failure “reflects a deeper barrier: a culture that seeks to minimize or avoid information that is negative, uncomfortable, or threatening to the company, including to top leadership (i.e., the Board of Directors, C-Suite executives and Brand Presidents/CEOs).”
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Mar 31, 2022 06:40 PMVideo how Princess Cruise Ships used a magic pipe to dump toxic oily waste into the ocean for 8 years...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxNcX2FBOMM
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Mar 31, 2022 09:58 PMIf cruise ships are bad, cargo and tanker ships are bigger, dirtier, and there are way way more of them. Something to think about next time you order from Amazon or fill up your tank up with something shipped halfway around the world.
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