Carnival Corporation is using the ocean as its dump
A multi-billion dollar corporation thinks it can get away with polluting places like Glacier Bay National Park and the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This corporation has illegally dumped over 600,000 gallons of sewage and graywater and over 11,000 gallons of food waste into the ocean. Not only that, but this company has repeatedly violated environmental law, and when caught, still violated regulations, even while under probation! It even tried covering up its crimes.
Located in Southeast Alaska, and often called the “crown jewel” of the park system, Glacier Bay offers its visitors breathtaking views of glaciers, whales, mountains, seals, forests—a wild landscape untouched by human hands. Cruise ships are only allowed to enter it with special permits, yet Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Carnival Cruises, all owned by Carnival Corporation, have repeatedly proven their disregard for the protection of our oceans and marine wildlife.
Urge Glacier Bay National Park to stop giving Carnival Corporation a free pass. Tell the Park Service to ban Carnival Corporation ships from entering Glacier Bay waters.
To Glacier Bay National Park:
The mission of the National Park Service is to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”
In September 2018, the Holland America Westerdam cruise ship dumped 26,000 gallons of grey water into Glacier Bay National Park and failed to notify the Coast Guard - a felony offense committed within the National Park. Yet, you fined the cruise line just $250, an amount so absurdly low it acts more as a reward than a punishment.
Carnival Corporation, Holland America’s parent company, recently pleaded guilty to six charges of violating the terms of their probation - which they were under after being convicted of seven felonies forcovering up the dumping of oily waste into the ocean for eight years. These probation violations, which include falsifying training records and rushing to clean up ships before inspections - even after the Federal Judge ordered them to stop - show a long history of intent to hide their activities.
Carnival Corporation’s repeated criminal actions are evidence of an inability to be honest, transparent, and committed to the standards that even they themselves have set in their concession contracts. We are asking that you debar Carnival Corporation subsidiaries (Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Seaboun) until such time that they have proved a reform of their practices and can operate with integrity and with due care to the marine environment.
To ensure we can “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System,” we must not allow concessioners (cruise ships or otherwise) that repeatedly violate those very ideals.
Please ban Carnival Corporation cruise ships from entering the waters of Glacier Bay.
