United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Princess Cruises hit with huge fine for polluting ocean
Monday, 02 Dec, 2016
0
Carnival Corp brand Princess Cruises has been hit with the biggest ever fine for deliberate polluting of the ocean.
The line agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of dumping waste at sea and a concerted effort to cover it up.
The line will pay $40 million relating to seven felony charges, the US Justice Department said.
It relates to the dumping of contaminated waste from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship through a so-called ‘magic pipe’ into waters off the UK and then ‘intentional acts to cover it up.’
It had illegally discharged waste since 2005 before it was reported by an engineer in August 2013.
The pipe was removed and crew members were ordered to lie about its existence, it was alleged.
"This is a company that knew better and should have done better. Hopefully the outcome of this case has the potential not just to chart a new course for this company but for other companies as well," said assistant Attorney General John Cruden.
A Princess Cruises statement said: "We are extremely disappointed about the inexcusable actions of our employees who violated our policies and environmental law when they bypassed our bilge water treatment system and discharged untreated bilge water into the ocean."
Related News Stories:
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Cruise ship crew member jailed for 30 Years
Hotelplanner.com acquires TravelMole, expanding global reach and content offerings
Responsible Travel ditches Twitter
Spirit Airlines reported mulling bankruptcy filing
FAA orders mandatory inspections of Dreamliner pilot seats