A bill that would prohibit cruise ships at Nawiliwili Harbor from burning 1,000 or more parts per million of sulfur bunker fuel will be heard in Senate committees today. The bill, Senate Bill 2526, was introduced by Sen. Gary Hooser,
A bill that would prohibit cruise ships at Nawiliwili Harbor from burning 1,000 or more parts per million of sulfur bunker fuel will be heard in Senate committees today.
The bill, Senate Bill 2526, was introduced by Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i/Ni‘ihau, following Niumalu residents’ concerns related to cruise ship emissions.
Its companion bill, House Bill 2919, was introduced by Rep. James Tokioka. That bill passed one committee hearing with amendments that reduced the five-mile restriction to include only ships docked at Nawiliwili Harbor. It also included an amended portion restricting the limit of bunker fuel to 5,000 sulfur parts per million, instead of 1,000.
Though less stringent than the original version, Hooser said the revised type of .5 fuel is more readily available and could provide less of an inconvenience for cruise ship lines.
Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have backed the bill, offering to voluntarily reduce emissions by switching fuel, Hooser said.
“I am very happy that Holland America and Princess Cruises are stepping up to the plate and agreeing to help us by burning the cleaner fuel,” he said. “I hope (Norwegian Cruise Lines) chooses to do the same.”
Holland America and Princess Cruise ships don’t come into Nawiliwili Harbor as often as Norwegian Cruise Lines, as two of the NCL’s ships per week enter Nawiliwili year-round, according to NCL Vice President Alan Yamamoto.
The Pride of Aloha, one of the NCL ships, has been coming into Nawiliwili since 2004.
Yamamoto said cost is a factor for the company, noting NCL is trying to crunch numbers based on data it’s awaiting from Tesoro Corporation, an oil refining and marketing company that provides its fuel.
Such information includes fuel availability and quantity, Yamamoto said.
Yamamoto did say the company has estimated a $400 cost differential per metric ton between the heavy fuel oil versus the .5, but said that estimate could vary depending in the final bill language, including other possible requirements, such as where fuel changes need to be conducted.
Though there has been some talk about expanding the bill to extend to all sea vessels, Hooser said that could kill the bill in its entirety, noting smaller vessels don’t pose as much as a pollution threat.
Yamamoto said NCL doesn’t plan on asking the Legislature to extend the restrictions to all vessels but has asked the Department of Health to “make sure they consider all sources — whether marine or land based — that may be impacting air quality.”
“If (the DOH) can prove what the source is, we can work to mitigate what is causing the problem,” he said.
Today’s hearing will begin at 2:45 p.m.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
Want to sound off?
The Senate committee is accepting written testimony in favor or against SB2526. Testimony should be submitted 24-hours in advance, however, late testimony (in advance of today’s 2:45 p.m. hearing) is sometimes accepted.
E-mail: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov or fax: 800-586-6659.
