On September 30, 2024, the Department of Environmental Quality received Robert Hodson’s petition to initiate a new regulatory rulemaking on ocean-class passenger cruise ships. Specifically, this petition requests that the DEQ and the Commonwealth develop new regulations for cruise ships in Virginia waters as follows: (1) Mandate the use of low-sulphur fuel, (2) Ban the use of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (open-loop scrubbers), (3) Require the use of shore power, (4) Restrict the dumping of graywater, blackwater, and other environmentally detrimental waste products, and (5) Require incident reporting and independent monitoring to ensure compliance.

A copy of the full petition is available from the point of contact for this petition.

A 21-day public comment period is being announced in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Upon completion of the public comment period, the Air Pollution Control Board will consider the petition at a future meeting and decide whether or not to move forward with the rulemaking.