Cruise ship emissions and discharge are coming under fire by activists in Portland. The group "Portland Cruise Control" wants the city to ban scrubber wash, the often-untreated discharge from systems that remove contaminants from marine engine exhaust.
JoAnn Locktov said she formed Portland Cruise Control to reduce the pollution from cruise ships in the port. She said the city council workshop Wednesday provided a lot of information, but more is needed about the harm's scrubber wash poses to people.
"What we were hoping for were experts who could talk about cruise ship pollution and scrubber wash discharge. Because it's a specific type of pollution that affects our air and water," Locktov said.
Fifteen people submitted letters to the committee supporting a scrubber wash ban or a requirement that ships must burn cleaner fuel.
Locktov said she hopes to meet with the committee again this fall to talk more about solutions.
The Department of Environmental Protection said the state cannot put a scrubber ban into effect. The Environmental Protection Agency oversees scrubber wash and has introduced a law that regulates vessel discharges into U.S. water.
