CRUISE Garbage actions to take

Fair Sailing has received many inquiries about what productive actions can be taken by residents to address cruise tourism impacts locally. Here is what we have learned:

·      Every voice counts! Our strength is in collective numbers.

·      All levels of government are aware of cruise tourism impacts and have taken some actions – but not enough! Add your voice to the collective chorus of concerned citizens.

·      Address your emails/letters to elected officials – they will refer your submission for response by staff who are working on the issue you are concerned about.

·      Many cruise tourism issues are cross jurisdictional and will require time and collaboration among various interest holders to resolve.

There are solutions! Our suggestions focus on what you can do NOW. We will update this information as we learn more.

PROBLEM: CRUISE SHIP GARBAGE

Cruise ships at Ogden Point offload thousands of tonnes of non-hazardous and hazardous solid and liquid wastes at Ogden Point. Please see our FAQ on Cruise Garbage in Victoria for detailed information.

The CRD Board has goals to extend the life of Hartland Landfill and goals to minimize waste under the regional Climate Action Strategy. It has directed staff to explore options to extend the life of the landfill, including preventing the disposal of out-of-region waste. Local residents are asked to reduce their garbage while the landfill accepts solid waste from cruise ships.

OUR SOLUTION:

  • Cease disposal of cruise ship waste at Hartland Landfill

  • Cease landing of all cruise ship solid and liquid wastes in Victoria (except for goods locally sourced)

  • Return all solid and liquid waste, including recyclables, organics, and hazardous materials to port-of-origin

  • Until cruise ship waste ceases to be landed, full public disclosure of all waste materials offloaded, and their end destinations

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

What you can do:

·      Ask the CRD Board at crdboard@crd.bc.ca to cease the disposal of cruise ship waste at Hartland Landfill

You can also send your submission to specific directors (for example, the CRD representative of your municipality or electoral area). Individual email addresses for all 24 CRD Board directors can be found at the following link Board of Directors | Capital Regional District

Background

Canada has an obligation under Marpol to provide port reception facilities, but the cruise ships decide where to offload their wastes. They do not seem to use Seattle for logistical reasons and have signed a voluntary MOU with Juneau in Alaska to reduce waste.

Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) do not mandate ships to offload in Canada.

International cruise ship solid waste garbage offloaded at Ogden Point goes to the regional Hartland Landfill which is owned and operated by the Capital Regional District (CRD). The CRD must seek approval from CFIA every three years to act as an international waste disposal site – they have a choice!

Waste management involves various levels of government, including the Province of BC and the Capital Regional District (CRD). Fair Sailing is taking a phased approach to stop the import of cruise ship wastes, starting with asking the CRD to cease accepting international cruise ship waste at Hartland Landfill. Future phases will involve more long term actions to prevent the import of recyclables and liquid/hazardous wastes. This will require further steps that may involve the CRD in addition to provincial ministries that are responsible for extended producer responsibilities and liquid and hazardous waste management.