Superior Court ruling on DEC cruise ship decision

aired fri – A Juneau judge says state regulators need to take another look at cruise ship wastewater treatment systems.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Collins ruled the Department of Environmental Conservation failed to consider stronger options for some cruise ships.

Earthjustice is saying that the ruling could lead to cleaner waters along cruise ship routes.

The Campaign to Safeguard Americas Waters and Friends of the Earth are the ones that challenged the wastewater permit system through an administrative appeal. That appeal failed and they took it to state court.

The ruling, issued June 6^th, poses a series of questions that the state must answer and it also reverses DECs rejection of the groups’ administrative appeal.

The state has 30 days to decide whether to appeal the decision to the Alaska Supreme Court.

The industry has said cruise lines are doing the best they can and discharge far less pollution than municipalities.  Meanwhile. A state science panel is studying technology that could improve treatment.