Dirty Air Cruise-Ship of the Year Awards
by James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA)
The 2013 cruise‐ship season is underway and Victoria residents are once again exposed to cruise-ship plumes producing high levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), as experienced on May 13th and May 18th. Air pollution remains a problem. Asthmatics and others sensitive to SO2 and other pollutants may experience symptoms when SO2 levels are above 35ppb.On Saturday evening, May 18th, SO2 levels were almost double that number, reaching an average of 69 ppb during one 60 minute period. That highpoint coincided with the arrival of the Golden Princess, joining two other ships at Ogden Point. Although this year’s Dirty Air Cruise-Ship of the Year awards must wait until the end of the 2013 cruise-ship season, the ships associated with high levels of SO2 are known.
The James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA) Board presents the following 2012 Victoria Dirty Air Cruise-Ship of the Year Awards.
Winner of the 2012 Individual Ship Category is:
Carnival Spirit, a ship owned by Carnival Cruise Lines of Miami. Carnival Spirit was associated with a 1 hour sulphur dioxide (SO2) level above 35 ppb, creating moderate health risks for those sensitive to SO2, after the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) standards came into effect on August 1st, 2012.
The 2012 Team Category award goes to:
Westerdam and Golden Princess, two of the three ships associated with the highest 2012 SO2 level - exceeding the highest 1 hour reading recorded in 2011 and exceeding the World Health Organization 10-min guideline. Parent companies Holland America and Princess Cruises are owned by Carnival Corporation.
Winners were chosen from the ‘raw data readings’ taken from the single sulphur dioxide (SO2) monitoring station installed in James Bay. Since the monitoring site only captures the plume when the wind is from the SW, which occurs 25% of the time, the plumes experienced by residents who live southeast of the monitoring site are not properly measured.
Pollution in James Bay, due to cruise-ship emissions, continues to pose health concerns for residents, particularly asthmatics, others with respiratory or chronic conditions, and those who may develop such conditions.
Has air quality improved over the last year? YES
Is air quality at a satisfactory/healthy level for all residents/visitors ? NO
JBNA received assurance from Transport Canada that the JBNA request for the boarding of particular ships using Victoria as a Port of Call in 2013 would occur to ensure compliance with fuel use requirements of the ECA. However, three ships arriving in port at the same time and leaving a few hours later can triple SO2 levels.
Victoria needs to define how this unaccountable industry behaves in our City.
Staging of the ship arrivals and departures is needed. Arrivals scheduled a couple of hours apart and departures before/by 10 pm would lessen the transportation surges, give residents quiet night-time hours, and give cruise-passengers daylight hours to better enjoy our City.
For Immediate Release
James Bay Neighbourhood Association
234 Menzies St., Victoria, B.C., V8V 2G7 www.jbna.org
Press Release May 20th, 2013
Information, reports and studies on the cruise-ship industry, including the JBNA analysis of Wind and SO2 levels, can be found on the JBNA Environment page at www.jbna.org
For more information contact: Marg Gardiner, JBNA President
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