Groups sue Carnival over Charleston operations
By Matt Tomsic
mtomsic@scbiznews.com
Published June 13, 2011
Environmental, preservation and neighborhood groups filed a lawsuit this morning seeking regulations for Carnival Cruise Line’s operations in Charleston.
The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing the Historic Ansonborough Neighborhood Association, the Charlestowne Neighborhood Association, the Coastal Conservation League, and the Preservation Society of Charleston in the case. Carnival is the only named defendant.
The groups announced the lawsuit during a news conference this morning.
“The point of this is to get some clarity,” said Blan Holman, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. “This business is like any other business. We’ve got to have standards that keep things in balance.”
Holman said the lawsuit alleges Carnival is breaking local zoning, nuisance and environmental permitting laws. The legal complaint has 12 counts and wants Carnival to go through the processes required of other Charleston tourism businesses.
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| Carrie Agnew of the Ansonborough Neighborhood Association (left) and Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Dana Beach announce the lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Lines. (Photos/Leslie Burden) |
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| Charleston Mayor Joe Riley (left) and ILA President Ken Riley vowed they would fight the lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Lines’ operations in Charleston. |
Carrie Agnew, a member of the Ansonborough association, said neighborhood, historic and environmental groups have spent months asking the city for cruise regulations.
“In return, we’ve gotten more soot, traffic jams, closed streets,” Agnew said.
During the news conference, she held a white napkin that she said was stained with black soot from a cruise ship.
“We want and need some limits to protect our families ... our neighborhoods,” she said.
Dana Beach, executive director of the Coastal Conservation League, also spoke during the conference. Beach said cruise ships have been compared to floating cities.
“And the waste they produce is comparable,” Beach said, adding the ships produce 21,000 gallons of sewage every day.
Beach said the lawsuit is not an attempt to force Carnival out of Charleston Harbor.
“Cruising is fine as long as they meet standards that are reasonable,” Beach said.
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| Carrie Agnew of the Ansonborough Neighborhood Association held up a napkin that she said showed soot from a cruise ship. |
An hour and 45 minutes later, the S.C. State Ports Authority hosted a news conference in response to the lawsuit and announced the city of Charleston, the ports authority and the local chapter of the International Longshoremen’s Association, and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce will try to intervene in the case.
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley called the lawsuit “outrageous and abusive.”
“We will do everything we can to make sure this lawsuit fails,” Riley said.
Riley said the redevelopment of Union Pier is at stake and the project won’t happen if Carnival leaves. But John Hassell, a member of the ports authority board, said the port will continue with the project despite the lawsuit, which he called a “desperate act.”
Charleston’s cruise industry is regulated by the federal government, which controls where and when the ships can dump wastewater, among other things, Riley said.
“If we aren’t resolute and if we don’t work hard, something very important to a community will be lost,” Riley said.
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Comments:
Added:
13 Jun 2011
MY gosh!
Cruise lines should be TOTALLY banned from the Ports of Charleston. This is one disater this city does not need. The city/business leader's greed is leading them blindly down the wrong path. Why hasn't the Chamber and Mayor's office visited other cities (or the usual alternative:pay for a study)that have fallen prey to cruise lines to witness the damage first hand: traffic congestion, trash, street peddlers, increased crime etc. They attract a "bad" element that follows them and sets up at their ports of call.
Please, send them to a terminal at the Navy Base and bus them to Charleston if they absolutely have to.
Robert Stockton
Added:
13 Jun 2011
First the NLRB sues Boeing for creating thousands of high paying jobs in Charleston. Now this group sues Carnival. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that the left leaning citizens of our country are against prosperity no matter where it appears. And they call themselves progressive.
Neil Whitman
Added:
13 Jun 2011
From the outside this "disagreement" appears as if the City Of Charleston and its residents cannot get behind the Cruise industry. Taking it one step further it appears that the City Of Charleston cannot get behind economic revitalization.
There is an old expression: "Either you are on the bus or off the bus." So which is it for the City of Charleston?
Lee Johnson
Added:
13 Jun 2011
Once again Dana Beach gets an "F" on his research. YES, The ship will produce a ton of poop. But The ship also processes it and therefore it is nothing that will bother the people in Ansonborough.
FWIW, the ship produces it's own water and processes it's own discharge. It places no demand on the CWP or the people of Charleston.
Whenever you see Dana Involved beware he is paid to rain on the parades of those trying to survive this "Depression".
Herb Glazer
Added:
13 Jun 2011
I think Carnival needs to pull out and leave Charleston.
When several people try and comtrol thousands if is the point of stupity.
bargeman
Added:
13 Jun 2011
It is always the same group of rich people trying to hold back progress and jobs for the rest of us under the guise of historic preservation or environmental concerns. The cruise ships bring much needed dollars into Charleston.
Rob
Added:
13 Jun 2011
This lawsuit is a fine example of shortsightedness on behalf of the plaintiffs and demonstrates an unwillingness to work toward any mutually beneficial solution. The cruise industry brings good clean industry to Charleston and boosts tourism, a vital component of the Charleston economy. The spin-off business generated for Charleston businesses is tremendous. It will take some working together to solve things like traffic problems, etc. This suit is not how anyone demonstrates a willingness to work together. Workable solutions can be found if approached in a convivial and cooperative spirit.
Larry Hargrove
Added:
14 Jun 2011
The people of the neighborhoods are hiding behind the enviromental blanket. What we have is a group of wealthy people that want things to go their way and because they may have had to detour to another street they don't want the crusie ship here. The store owners are not complaining, perhaps if the so called wealthy were not so tight fisted with their money the local economy would not need outside sources of revenue.
SB
Added:
14 Jun 2011
WOW!
NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) and BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) have found a new drum to beat - CNBC (Charleston Needs BIGGER CONTROLS). Of course they know exactly who should head the BIGGER CONTROL agency.
Look, the gentry have already unloaded the property tax burden on the businesses that may benefit from the presence of a Cruise Terminal. When is enough, enough?
BOB EVERETT
Added:
14 Jun 2011
How many visitors come here for Spoleto, the bridge run and other events, as compared with cruise passengers? And how much carbon dioxide, soot and other air pollutants do their vehicles emit, as compared with the smokestacks on cruise ships?
As for traffic downtown, the cruise passengers are *walking* (except for those who travel here and embark, in which case they park and then walk around before boarding), so they're hardly causing traffic problems.
I'm curious to know why other tourist-related transportation/events aren't scrutinized the same way.
Or is the Conservation League taking up the cause merely to have a cause?
Shelia Watson
Added:
17 Jun 2011
My opinion about Carnival being located in Charleston, SC. I LOVE the ships being here in Charleston, SC... Not only does it bring more tourism to this area, but it also brings jobs. I enjoy watching the ship come into Charleston. I think it adds an Elegants to the city and the harbor, I sometimes go into the city, that I normally wouldn't have done; just to watch the ship come in or go out.. I know any honorable judge will not allow a few Ingrates to ruin it for the rest of the hundreds of thousands of us that want the ship here, to be honest I hope we get a few more and a cruise port as well. It is truely Absurd what they are doing and saying. It truely shows that to many people have to much say so when it comes to an improvement to our city. Most of the people in these organizations are not even from Charleston, SC. I pray that Carnival STAYS right here in our city... Thanks again Wendy
Wendy Martin
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