Public Health And Environment Not Protected By New Rules For Large Ships

(31 January 2003 — New York)  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards for large marine vessels, such as tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and cruise ships, are expected to be announced later today.  The standards are expected to miss an important opportunity to lower harmful pollution from these engines and protect public health, even though cost-effective controls and cleaner burning fuel are viable, according to Environmental Defense.

“Tankers, container ships and other large ships are some of the highest-polluting engines in operation, and they contribute to unhealthy air pollution in port cities, coastal areas and inland waterways.  But EPA’s expected air pollution standards will not make any progress in protecting public health because they do not clean up pollution from foreign-flagged vessels in U.S. ports and they do not require pollution cuts for U.S.-flagged ships.  The outcome here should have been cleaner, healthier air because cost-effective measures to vastly reduce pollution from these high-polluting engines are available and affordable,” said Janea Scott, Environmental Defense staff attorney.

Engines of large marine vessels annually discharge 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), over 150,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and 18,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) pollution.  These emissions pose serious health risks especially in port cities and cities near inland waterways like Los Angeles, Houston, Galveston, New York City, Philadelphia and the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region.  Studies have linked these pollutants to increased risk of lung cancer, heart attacks, stroke-induced death and cardiopulmonary death.

The U.S. Maritime Administration estimates that foreign-flagged ships represent more than 95% of all calls made to U.S. ports.  But EPA’s rule is not expected to require pollution cuts from these ships even though it is within the federal government’s power to do so.  EPA’s final standards are also not expected to lower harmful pollution from U.S.-flagged ships despite the fact that available control technology and cleaner fuel could cut pollution by 90%.  The marine fuel burned by oceangoing marine vessels contains 30,000 - 50,000 parts per million (ppm) sulfur.  By contrast, in order to protect public health EPA recently required a 15ppm sulfur limit for diesel used in heavy-duty trucks that travel on highways.