Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Shipping and Large Vessel Traffic doesn’t just pose a risk to ecosystems when something catastrophic happens, but normal operations are creating pollution that is harmful to marine life, including Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). While some jurisdictions in the Salish Sea are tackling this head on, working in collaboration with industry, and prioritising pollution prevention, others are allowing themselves to become a relative dumping ground. In this panel a group of experts including researchers, campaigners, and government officials will discuss and share some of the most concerning aspects of 3 voluminous waste streams, as well as examples of jurisdictions leading and lagging on addressing them. The panelists will focus on raw sewage, raw greywater, and exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubbers) waste streams. Sewage and greywater contain Personal Care Products and Pharmaceuticals, on top of nutrients and pathogens, which are detrimental to SRKW and Chinook Salmon. Vessels, in particular cruise ships, produce gallons per passenger per day. While Puget Sound is well protected from sewage and greywater dumping, once the border with Canada is crossed, greywater doesn’t need to be treated by ships built before 2013 at all. Scrubbers create and dump acidic and toxic waste streams into the ocean. Contributing directly to ocean acidification and toxicity of sediment and water while locking in the use of heavy fuel oil. The Port of Seattle has successfully negotiated a pause on this type of dumping from ships, while they work in partnership with CLIA and the Washington Department of Ecology to study scrubber discharge impacts in the local area. While the Port of Vancouver is the fourth most dumped upon port in the world and currently has no protective bans in place.
Session Title
Vessel Risk
Conference Track
SSE5: Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessel Impacts
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-241
Start Date
26-4-2022 11:30 AM
End Date
26-4-2022 1:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Shipping--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Killer whale--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Pollution prevention--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Marine ecosystem health--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Leaders and Laggards: Dumping from Vessels in the Salish Sea, why it's concerning, and who is leading and lagging in preventing it.
Shipping and Large Vessel Traffic doesn’t just pose a risk to ecosystems when something catastrophic happens, but normal operations are creating pollution that is harmful to marine life, including Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). While some jurisdictions in the Salish Sea are tackling this head on, working in collaboration with industry, and prioritising pollution prevention, others are allowing themselves to become a relative dumping ground. In this panel a group of experts including researchers, campaigners, and government officials will discuss and share some of the most concerning aspects of 3 voluminous waste streams, as well as examples of jurisdictions leading and lagging on addressing them. The panelists will focus on raw sewage, raw greywater, and exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubbers) waste streams. Sewage and greywater contain Personal Care Products and Pharmaceuticals, on top of nutrients and pathogens, which are detrimental to SRKW and Chinook Salmon. Vessels, in particular cruise ships, produce gallons per passenger per day. While Puget Sound is well protected from sewage and greywater dumping, once the border with Canada is crossed, greywater doesn’t need to be treated by ships built before 2013 at all. Scrubbers create and dump acidic and toxic waste streams into the ocean. Contributing directly to ocean acidification and toxicity of sediment and water while locking in the use of heavy fuel oil. The Port of Seattle has successfully negotiated a pause on this type of dumping from ships, while they work in partnership with CLIA and the Washington Department of Ecology to study scrubber discharge impacts in the local area. While the Port of Vancouver is the fourth most dumped upon port in the world and currently has no protective bans in place.
