AB471 - CRUISE SHIP EMISSIONS

The Honorable John Laird
27th District, State Assembly
Room 2196, State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Assemblyman Laird:

The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula supports AB471 - Cruise Ship emissions. This bill would prohibit a cruise ship from conducting on-board waste incineration while operating within 90 miles of the California coast beginning January 1, 2004. It would also require a cruise ship to use a lower sulfur diesel fuel while operating within 25 miles of the California coast beginning January 1, 2005. This bill would reduce air pollution in the North Central Coast Air Basin, which still does not meet State standards for ozone or particulate matter 10 microns or less.

Cruise ships are significant sources of air pollution, including oxides of nitrogen, which lead to smog formation. The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District estimated that the Star Princess Cruise ship that visited the North Central Coast Air Basin on May 7 generated 1.5 tons of NOx from in-bay travel and 1.9 tons from travel along the coast for a total of 3.4 tons. This compares to emissions from 12,240 and 15,450 cars, respectively.

Thank you for your ongoing effort to support clean air.

Sincerely,

Beverly G. Bean, President