Harris Intro's AK Water Quality Standards Bill

(Juneau) - Representative John Harris today introduced House Bill (HB) 134, legislation crafted to allow the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation some discretion in monitoring Alaska Water Quality Standards governing pollution discharge permits. The bill amends AS 46.03 to give the DEC leeway when enforcing discharge laws relating to cruise ships, while still keeping the spirit and intent of the statute in tact.

We don't want ships to avoid nonsensical laws by going out to the three-mile line to dump their waste without regulation. We want them to stay in Alaska waters, use Alaska ports of call, and help us maintain a clean marine environment.
~ Rep. John Harris

"I introduced HB 134 to give DEC the ability to regulate cruise ship discharges with standards that are scientifically based," Harris said. "We don't want ships to avoid nonsensical laws by going out to the three-mile line to dump their waste without regulation. We want them to stay in Alaska waters, use Alaska ports of call, and help us maintain a clean marine environment."

To quote the Anchorage Daily News editorial (12/21/08), "DEC should have a little discretion to make sure cruise ship discharge rules aren't unreasonably tight."

HB 134 was referred to the House Community and Regional Affairs and the House Resources Committees.