Status: 07/12/2022 11:34 am
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Alaskan cruises are very popular in the United States. But the environmental protection regulations are strict – that’s why the ships dump waste water off the picturesque coast of neighboring Canada.
By Torsten Teichmann for the ARD Studio Los Angeles
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In the US state of Washington, more than 6,000 square kilometers of the Pacific have been declared a sewage-free area, in Alaska shipping companies need a permit to open the valves on the high seas. That’s why US cruise ships sailing between the two states dump hundreds of millions of liters of sewage, chemicals and manure off the Canadian coast along the way – while the passengers on board enjoy the scenery.
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The cruise route to Alaska is the most popular vacation treat for Americans – even ahead of trips to Orlando or Las Vegas.
Cruise industry toilet bowl?
Canada is like a toilet bowl for the cruise industry, says Anna Barford of the US-Canadian environmental organization Stand.earth. The group had published a corresponding study together with other clubs. They reiterate their warning as passenger numbers reach pre-coronavirus levels.
According to the environmental organization WWF Canada, service water from sinks, showers and on-board laundry, keel manure that collects in the ships’ hulls and sewage from toilets are only a small part of the dumped liquids. By far the largest amount is created when cleaning the ship’s diesel exhaust gases.
Cruise ships are by far responsible for most of the pollution, despite accounting for just 2 percent of all shipping traffic, WWF said.
US cruise ships crash in Canadian waters
Torsten Teichmann, ARD Los Angeles, July 12, 2022 10:54 a.m
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