A US East Coast town wants the cruise industry to fund local air quality monitoring program.
Gary Friedmann, Bar Harbor Town Councilor, has asked Carnival Cruise Line to pay for the program. Last week, the council voted to consider the proposal. Friedmann said Carnival was responsible for nearly a third of the 180 ship visits scheduled in 2019 for Bar Harbor ME. A spokeswoman had told him the town's anchorage fee could fund the program, but that Carnival would not want to pay directly.
Carnival Corporation was fined USD 20 million in June 2019 for continuing to pollute the ocean despite the 2016 fine. The alleged illegal dumping didn't happen in Maine State's coastal waters.
A spokesperson for Carnival said that environmental compliance was a priority and the company was making important strides.