As of July 1, cruise ships belonging to the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) will implement a new set of dumping standards that includes zero discharge of some of the most hazardous chemicals used aboard luxury liners.
ICCL members unanimously adopted mandatory environmental standards for all of their cruise ships and they will be included in the Safety Management System (SMS), which ensures compliance through internal and third-party audits. Failure to comply with SMS procedures could prevent a ship from operating from US ports. Compliance with these standards is a condition of membership in the ICCL.
Cruise Lines Will:
- prevent discharge of chlorinated dry cleaning fluids and sludge from on-board dry cleaners
- prevent discharge of hazardous wastes from print shops
- prevent the dumping of used batteries, unused and outdated pharmaceuticals, and the release of mercury from spent fluorescent and mercury vapor lamps
- minimize the discharge of silver from photo processing
- eliminate the discharge of contaminated waters known as graywater and treated blackwater in any port or within four nautical miles from shore “or such other distance as agreed to with authorities having jurisdiction”