The House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, Co-Chaired by Representative Muñoz, heard the Cruiseship Wastewater bill (HB134) in committee on February 16 and passed it out to be heard next by the House Resources Committee. The bill is sponsored by Representative John Harris of Valdez.  

The 2006 initiative included more stringent requirements for Cruiseships than other dischargers, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants, which are allowed so-called mixing zones. The water quality standards are the same for both.  But other dischargers can get regulators to sample the discharge a little distance from the pipe, thus allowing it to dilute first.  This bill will allow a mixing zone in certain open waters away from ports, but will not effect in any way the Dept. of Environmental Conservation’s ability to monitor and regulate wastewater laws for the ships while in Alaska.