Maine ports 'shocked and disappointed' by Princess polluting
Princess Cruises has drawn a stern rebuke from the ports of Maine in the wake of news some of the line's ships deliberately and illegally polluted the oceans.
CruiseMaineUSA, which promotes the state to the cruise industry, said in a statement that its member ports were "shocked and disappointed" by the charges against Princess revealed Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The California-based line, which is owned by cruise giant Carnival Corp. (CCL), will plead guilty to seven felony charges related to the polluting and intentional acts to cover it up, the Justice Department said. At least one of the ships mentioned in the case visited Maine ports during the period when the polluting was occurring, according to the Justice Department.
“We find behavior that knowingly violates environmental rules and regulations that are specifically put in place to protect our waters completely unacceptable," CruiseMaineUSA said in the statement.
CruiseMaineUSA called for "increased oversight and rigorous enforcement by the United States Coast Guard" when cruise ships are in Maine ports.
The Justice Department said five Princess ships were involved in illegal activity that in at least one case dates back to 2005. An investigation has been underway for several years.
One of the vessels, the 3,192-passenger Caribbean Princess, illegally discharged oily waste into the sea for years through a "magic pipe" that bypassed the ship's waste treatment system, according to the Justice Department.
The Caribbean Princess visited ports in Maine as well as Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the period it was illegally discharging oily waste, according to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department did not present any evidence that top Princess executives knew of the polluting as it was happening. But at a press conference Thursday, Assistant Attorney General John Cruden said the incidents were the result of "a striking failure of corporate culture" at Princess.