The State Ports Authority (SPA) has announced intentions to accommodate 104 cruise ship visits per year—a drastic increase from the previous pattern of cruise visits that were predominantly ports-of-call by vessels of smaller size and passenger capacity.
We seek to gain awareness and understanding of the problems created in downtown Charleston by the recent tripling of cruise ship visits, the increasing size of these ships, and the home-porting of Carnival vessels that necessitates passengers driving or being driven downtown to embark and debark.
The self-evident consequences resulting from more than a year of these visits are congestion from increased traffic and street closures; air pollution and soot from burning dirty fuels to power large ships in port which soil neighboring buildings and endanger health; threat of water pollution as ships can now legally discharge raw sewage within three miles of shore; noise from ship horns and PA systems; and visual impairment and degradation of “The Holy City’s” Colonial-era skyline.
Most of all, we seek and propose equitable solutions to minimize these problems while protecting current and future jobs and economic benefits
from regulated cruise operations:
- Make “Voluntary Limits” Recommended by SPA and City Legally Binding.
- Locate New Terminal at Northern End of Columbus Street Terminal and Utilize Union Pier Terminal for Private Redevelopment.
