South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Carnival kept dumping sewage, oil, food waste
Report shows the cruise line illegally discharged waste after conviction
MIAMI — In the year after Carnival Corporation was convicted of systematically dumping oily waste into the ocean and lying about it to regulators, its ships illegally discharged more than a halfmillion gallons of treated sewage, gray water, oil and food waste, and burned heavy fuel oil in ports and waters close to shores around the world, according to a court-appointed monitor.
The findings are part of a pattern of illegal behavior during Carnival Corp.’s first of five years on probation that led U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz to publish a previously confidential report last week. In the 205-page report, the monitor overseeing Carnival Corp.’s environmental compliance flagged more than 800 incidents from April 2017 to April 2018.
The Miami Herald reviewed each incident and found that 24 were for illegally dumping sewage, food waste or oil; 19 were for illegally burning heavy fuel oil in protected areas; and more than 150 were the result of items like furniture accidentally going overboard. Carnival Corp. reported the violations to authorities directly or noted them in their internal records.
None of the violations was intentional, according to the report.
Subsequent court filings show Carnival Corp. has continued to violate environmental laws in its second year on probation.
The monitor’s written report applauded the company’s cooperativeness on board and ashore, and noted the company had corrected conditions that led to the original charges.
“The Company expended considerable efforts to meet the [probationary] Year One requirements and has substantially complied with them,” the report states. “Numerous individuals … have exhibited a strong commitment to creating a sustainable culture of environmental compliance.”
The report also praised the company’s training initiatives.
But the report also called Carnival Corp.’s internal investigations “critically flawed” and said the company has not given enough authority to Chris Donald, its court-mandated corporate compliance manager. Donald told the Herald he has the authority and the confidence of Carnival Corp.’s executives. Though he and the company’s chief executive have the same surname, they are not related.
Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said Tuesday that the company will do what it takes to ensure it meets all expectations of its probation and strive to be “best in class on environmental compliance.”
“Our environmental responsibility has been and remains a top priority for the company,” he said. “Our aspiration is to leave the places we touch even better than when we first arrived. This is in the best interest of our guests, our company and the oceans upon which we travel. We look forward to clarifying any issues and demonstrating our commitment.”
In 2016, Miami-based Carnival Corp., the largest cruise company in the world and owner of nine cruise brands, pleaded guilty to seven felony charges in relation to its eight-year-long “conspiracy” of illegal oil dumping and subsequent coverup on five of its Princess Cruise Line ships. Carnival Corp. agreed to pay a $40 million fine — the largest-ever criminal penalty involving deliberate vessel pollution — and five years of probation.
In fiscal year 2018, the company reported a profit of $3.2 billion.
Judge Seitz appointed Steven Solow, a partner at a Washington D.C. law firm, to inspect Carnival Corp. during probation. In June 2018, Solow submitted his first annual report to the court based on ship inspections, company records, interviews with employees and third party audits.
That report remained confidential until Seitz published it last week “so the public can see what this criminal defendant is doing,” she said.