Support the Cruise Ship Pollution Fee
It’s high summer, and in Maine that means – tourist time! Maine welcomes nearly 15 million visitors a year (1), and a half million of them arrive by cruise ship (2), docking in Portland, Bar Harbor and beyond.
Cruise ships may be a fun way to vacation in Vacationland, but they come with a serious environmental footprint. Sailing international waters, they’re subject to fewer regulations than many other industries. As such, their harmful impacts on water, air, marine life, and coastal ecosystems are well documented (3, 4).
Tourist port towns like Portland, Maine bear an unfair burden of this.
But as with many outmoded technologies there is a better way!
Greener alternatives are available, and research shows that incentive programs and taxes can be an effective means of helping ships steer a better course (couldn’t resist the pun!). In Scandinavia, for example, shipping vessels are charged different levels of port fee based on emissions. This structure has both reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in port areas and shifted more vessels to lower-emission technologies (5).
We can do the same here in Portland! With the cruise ship pollution fee.
The first step is a pollution fee assessed on cruise ships, based on the number of passengers. Proceeds from the fee would go directly into the new Climate Action Fund, an innovative program that funds projects in the city to reduce greenhouse gases. (And created out of citizen initiative!) The Climate Action Fund was championed by PCAT members, and after extensive outreach, education, and collaboration with city council members, it became reality just last year.)
Assessing a pollution fee both creates an incentive for cruise ship operators to adopt better practices, while also putting money toward renewables projects in Portland. Think of it as a way for cruise passengers to pay more of the true cost of their impact.
The Sustainability and Transportation Committee of the Portland City Council will take up this proposal for discussion in September. Now is the time to get in touch with your council member! Call or write to your district representative (www.portlandmaine.gov/741/Council-Bios), or to the sustainability committee (sustainabilityoffice@portlandmaine.gov). Let them know you support a cruise ship pollution fee to keep Maine beautiful and breathable for all.
References
- https://www.pressherald.com/2025/04/17/visitors-to-maine-dropped-again-in-2024-challenging-a-top-industry/
- https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/money/business/vacationland-tourism-season-cruise-ship-visitors-maine/97-bea5bf4f-4052-422c-aea4-f1c3563a5076
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-9-2-6.htm
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X21010134
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19307052
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome! FMI: Email Portlandclimateaction@gmail.com or visit https://facebook.com/PortlandClimateActionTeam.
