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Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional

AAPA Hails EPA's Actions to Reduce Ship Emissions

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s joint proposal with Canada to the International Maritime Organization to designate specific coastal water areas as an Emission Control Area, or ECA. Such action would reduce the allowable emission of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter from ocean-going ships, most of which are registered outside of the U.S. U.S. ports have encouraged an ECA designation for all three pollutants. “Seaports, which support millions of jobs, deliver significant economic prosperity and serve as coastal environment stewards, are investing millions of dollars annually to significantly reduce the environmental impact on their surrounding communities and natural resources,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA president and CEO.

The proposed ECA area includes waters adjacent to the Pacific coast, the Atlantic/Gulf coast and the eight main Hawaiian Islands. The proposed ECA would extend 200 nautical miles from the coastal baseline, except that it would not extend into marine areas subject to the sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction of any state other than the U.S. or Canada. AAPA represents 160 seaport authorities in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org.