Royal Caribbean Fined $470,000 for Environmental Violations at Galveston Port
c: City of Galveston
Royal Caribbean paid the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a $473,685 fine for violating disposal guidelines stipulated in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Eight vessels operating from the Port of Galveston, Texas, are believed to have inaccurately reported the type and amount of waste generated and incinerator ash offloaded to local landfills.
According to the agency, Royal Caribbean had inaccurate amounts of offloaded solid and hazardous materials from July 2019 to July 2024.
Still, the cruise line neglected to follow mandatory reporting protocols, including updating its notifications to the EPA, filing biennial reports, and maintaining adequate records of the types of wastes it was producing and managing.
The EPA's findings indicated that the discrepancies were primarily due to documentation errors rather than illegal dumping. Royal Caribbean has acknowledged these mistakes and has agreed to enhance its waste management practices to prevent future violations.
Royal Caribbean has already paid the fine and expressed its commitment to compliance with environmental regulations moving forward.
This incident highlights ongoing scrutiny of waste management practices within the cruise industry, particularly regarding adherence to environmental laws designed to protect marine ecosystems.
“RLC 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,” according to the EPA.
The company in 1999, facing 21 federal felony counts, was ordered to pay $18 million in six different U.S. courts for dumping waste oil and hazardous chemicals and lying to the U.S. Coast Guard, according to the Department of Justice.
