Cruise lines operating around the US and Canada will be punished if they fail to comply with new emissions regulations.
As of 1 January 2015, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue steep fines to any ships in the North American Emission Control Area that are found to be burning fuels with a sulphur content greater than 0.1%.
Violations will be determined by the Coast Guard and the EPA, and each will be subject to a maximum penalty of $25,000 per day; no minimum fines are mentioned in the policy.
Offending cruise lines will be able either to resolve or litigate their case: where relevant information (such as the cost of fuel on the day in question) is missing, the agency will use industry-standard data to arrive at a decision.
