EPA Announces $473,685 Penalty for Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD for Alleged RCRA Violations
DALLAS, TEXAS (October 10, 2024)— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD will pay a civil penalty amounting to $473,685 for failing to notify EPA of alleged waste handling and management activities.
“Waste management is an important aspect of environmental protection. Improper waste management practices can lead to environmental and community challenges for decades,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “This settlement reinforces our commitment to ensure companies are adhering to crucial RCRA regulations that are designed to protect our natural resources and public health from the dangers of hazardous waste.”
EPA conducted an inspection on December 6, 2022, at the Port of Galveston, Texas and found Pier 10 was being used to allegedly offload waste from eight different Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD (RCL) vessels into the United States. After reviewing additional reports and correspondence provided by RCL, who cooperated throughout the settlement process, EPA determined that RCL offloaded solid and hazardous waste materials from July 2019 to July 2024, into the U.S. EPA alleged that RCL failed to revise its Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3010 notifications, failed to file accurate biennial reports, failed to keep adequate records of hazardous waste determinations, failed to comply with the land disposal restrictions for the incinerator ash, and failed to comply with the obligations of a large quantity generator.
Under this settlement, RCL must maintain proper documentation of wastes it offloads from its vessels to final disposal /disposition. RCL must manifest accurately the amount of hazardous waste it offloads into U.S. ports and ensure the segregation of waste aligns with RCRA regulations. Additionally, RCL will update its Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) and submit to EPA Region 6 for review. Further, this settlement includes stipulated penalties, which safeguards RCL’s timely compliance with the CAFO. RCL is to implement the different waste handling and management programs successfully over the next 180-day period and will ensure that the alleged violations will not recur as a pattern of noncompliance. To view the Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO), please visit our enforcement webpage. For more information about RCRA regulations, please visit our webpage.
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