I know this petition is about pollution, but the cruise industry often touts economic benefits to port communities to get their foot in the door. The Control Board should be aware that only a few reap benefits--namely the cruise lines.

Port communities world-wide are fighting back against cruise ships due to over-tourism and pollution. Simply google – "fighting the cruise industry" – to learn more. One cruise lines are entrenched they fight dirty. In Key West, Florida, and Sitka Alaska they built private piers after the local community voted down measures to allow them to expand.

A similar thing is now happening in Juneau, Alaska and Rome, Italy. After the initial promises of the cruise industry are not realized, communities fight back, but it is an uphill battle going against a billion-dollar corporation fighting to maximize their profits at all costs.

I am from Yorktown, Virginia. We saw the industry’s tactics firsthand. They invited members of our Board of Supervisors on their ships to sell their story. They donated to the organization where they wanted a pier. Their lobbyist aligned state legislators to support the effort. And all this was done outside of the public eye with correspondence marked “Confidential” and “For your eyes only.”

The cruise industry knows how to make a sale, but unfortunately there is no “lemon law” to protect us from this industry. That is what the state Control Boards are charged with doing. I know that board members are here to serve the Commonwealth – please do so by regulating large cruise ships.

I support this petition. Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment, when the cruise industry was making its sales pitch to Yorktown, we had little to no opportunity to do so.