Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-793
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2005-04-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Alaska
Animals
Aquatic pests
Armed Forces and National Security
Business records
Chlorine
Citizen lawsuits
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Coast guard
Commerce
Commercialization
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consent decrees
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental law enforcement
Environmental technology
Evidence (Law)
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Great Lakes
Grievance procedures
Indexing (Economic policy)
Informers
Injunctions
International Affairs
Judicial review
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal fees
Legislation
Liability (Law)
Licenses
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Negligence
Non-native species
Oil pollution
Parties to actions
Passenger ships
Pest control
Pollution measurement
Public-private partnerships
Safety measures
Science, Technology, Communications
Sewage disposal
Sewage treatment
Standards
Technology transfer
Territorial waters
Transportation and Public Works
Treaties
Waste disposal in rivers, lakes, etc.
Waste disposal in the ocean
Waste water treatment
Water pollution control
Water quality
Whistle blowing
Witnesses

Summary:
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: 
Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2005 - Prohibits cruise vessels entering U.S. ports from discharging sewage, graywater, or bilge water into the waters of the United States, with specified exceptions, including when in compliance with effluent limits and management standards.
 
Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations establishing effluent limits for sewage and graywater discharged by cruise vessels.
 
Requires the Commandant to issue regulations implementing an inspection, sampling, and testing program sufficient to verify compliance with this Act and other specified laws.
 
Prohibits employment discrimination against persons who institute or testify in proceedings under this Act. 
 
Authorizes interested persons to file a petition in U.S. circuit court requesting review of the Commandant's action in promulgating effluent limits or carrying out inspections, sampling, or testing under this Act.
 
Establishes administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes rewards for information leading to the payment of such penalties. Establishes in rem liability for cruise vessels violating this Act.
 
Authorizes citizen suits in the U.S. district courts against those who violate this Act or related regulations and orders, or against the Administrator or Commandant for an alleged failure to perform.
 
Establishes special compliance deadlines for Alaskan cruise vessels with advanced treatment systems.
 
Establishes the Cruise Vessel Pollution Control Fund. Requires the Commandant to establish and collect fees from cruise vessels to carry out this Act and to deposit fees in the Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3658-3664)
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Introduced in Senate