title: The significance of dilution in evaluating possible impacts of wastewater discharges from large cruise ships.
abstract: In response to public concerns about discharges from large cruise ships, Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) sampled numerous effluents in the summer of 2000. The data showed that basic marine sanitation device (MSD) technology for black water (sewage) was not performing as expected. Untreated gray water had high levels of conventional pollutants and surprisingly high levels of bacteria. Both black water and gray water discharges sometimes exceeded state water quality standards for toxicants. The state convened a Science Advisory Panel (the Panel) to evaluate impacts associated with cruise ship wastewater discharges. The effluent data received wide media coverage and increased public concerns. Consequently, legislative decisions were made at the State and Federal level, and regulations were imposed before the Panel completed its evaluation. The Panel demonstrated that following the rapid dilution from moving cruise ships, the effluent data from the Summer of 2000 would not have exceeded water quality standards, and environmental effects were not expected.
authors.affiliation: Heller Ehrman, 701 5th Avenue, Suite 6100, Seattle, WA 98104-7098, USA. lincoln.loehr@hellerehrman.com
authors.forename: Lincoln C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Loehr
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Beegle-Krause
authors.forename: Kenwyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mearns
authors.forename: Marlin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Atkinson
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012767:Ships; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants