Princess Cruises fined for discharge in Glacier Bay

Gene Sloan, USA TODAY | USATODAY

The Environmental Protection Agency has levied a $20,000 fine on Princess Cruises for releasing wastewater into Alaska's famed Glacier Bay.

The agency says Princess violated the Clean Water Act in May 2011 when one of its ships, the 2,590-passenger Golden Princess, discharged pool water into the famously pristine environment of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Princess has blamed the release on a software malfunction on the ship that caused pool dump valves to open. About 277 tons of water from the Golden Princess' pools flowed into the wildlife-filled bay.

Princess says it notified the EPA of the discharge the next day.The $20,000 fine, announced by the EPA on Tuesday in a press release, was levied in December.

Large cruise ships sailing in Alaska operate under a wastewater discharge permit that does not allow the release of pool and hot-tub water in national parks.

In a short statement sent to USA TODAY, Princess expressed regret for the discharge.

"We sincerely regret the accidental discharge of swimming pool water that occurred in 2011, and subsequently we took measures to prevent this from happening again," the statement says.

The fine comes as the Alaska legislature considers a proposal that some say would weaken rules governing cruise ship wastewater discharges.