The full brief detailing our appeal:

 

Vetted Air Emissions Analysis Shows Flaws in SPA Data | Full study can be seen here

 

Cruise industry fights new pollution limits, The Washington Post/Pittsburg Post-Gazette, July 23, 2012, JULIET EILPERIN.

Banners fly against ship soot, P&C, July 3, 2012, ROBERT BEHRE and BRENDA RINDGE.

Hearing set in Carnival Cruise lawsuit, Charleston Regional Business Journal,
June 4, 2012, MATT TOMSIC.

Cruise Ships and You: Applying Lessons Learned, Forum Bulletin- National Trust for Historic Preservation, May 24, 2012.

The future isn’t what it used to be, Charleston Mercury, May 16, 2012, Editorial, JAY WILLIAMS.

Preservation Society’s Seven to Save list highlights important landmarks, P&C, May 14, 2012.

Cruise Concerns are worldwide- Those with concerns about a growing cruise industry aren’t small in number after all ,
P&C, May 13, 2012, Editorial.

Cruise Foes zero in on Charleston, Post and Courier, May 11, 2012, ROBERT BEHRE

State medical association advocates for shoreside power for cruise ships, P&C, May 6, 2012, editorial.

Cruise-ship industry fights cleaner-fuel rule, The State, May 6, 2012, RENEE SCHOOF.

State Ports Authority thwarts efforts to pry info loose, P&C, April 30, 2012, commentary, KATIE ZIMMERMAN.

Debate continues over S.C. cruises, Amarillo Globe News, April 27, 2012, CHIP CHANDLER.

Water quality is topic of second Charleston cruise terminal public hearing, P&C, April 23, 2012.

Debate Continues Over South Carolina Cruise Ships, Huffington Post, April 23, 2012, BRUCE SMITH.

2 years on, debate continues over SC cruises, Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 23, 2012, BRUCE SMITH.

Historic Charleston fights over docking of cruise ships, USA Today, April 22, 2012, BRUCE SMITH.

Charleston cruise-ship opponents seize opportunity to battle new passenger terminal, P&C, April 19, 2012, DAVID SLADE.

Ahoy there, Carnival, Post and Courier, March 14, 2012, editorial.

Health, hospitality and homes:
Reduce the risks of air pollution from cruise ships, Post and Courier, March 8, 2012, STEPHEN I. SCHABEL, M.D., commentary.
Why not shore-side power?, Post and Courier, March 8, 2012, editorial.
Cruise terminal should be equipped with onshore power, Post and Courier, December 6, 2011, GIL BALDWIN, M.D.
Charleston’s Culinary Evolution, Part I, Charleston Mercury, July 28, 2011, PEG MOORE, Chief Culinary Correspondent. Many business people, including chefs and owners of 22 of Charleston’s most important restaurants, recently wrote the Post and Courier of their concerns about cruise ships. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Charleston on a watch list. Nearby Fleet Landing restaurant reports no benefits from ships. The Columbus Street port seems a logical place for the State Ports Authority’s new cruise ship terminal, where crowds of people would not interfere with traditional local businesses. It is wasteful of the SPA to use the Union Pier area, assessed at over $3 million an acre, for parking and terminal buildings. A $27 million dollar parking lot? Instead of privately-owned waterfront restaurants and homes that would be a lucrative tax base? Instead of damaging Charleston’s famous historic district, the SPA could move just a few blocks north and stimulate the economy there. And there’s that excellent restaurant at The Culinary Institute nearby. Bon appétit!
More cruises = More Health Risks, Post & Courier, June 10, 2011,
DR. FREDERICK E. REED JR., DR. THOMAS B. HARPER III AND DR. WILLIAM H. LEE
Codify cruise ship standards to preserve Charleston flavor, Post and Courier, April 28, 2011, BY SEAN BROCK. This letter also was signed by P. Steve Dopp, Charles Duell, John Edwards, Randall Goldman, Hank Holliday, Mike Lata, George McDaniel, Karalee Nielsen, Steve Palmer, T.J. Parsell, Robert Stehling and Alfredo Temelini. Each owns and/or operates at least one local tourism-related business.
Cruise ships’ visibility puts off potential home buyers, Post and Courier, March 2, 2011, BY THOMAS BENNETT. This letter was also signed by: Helen Geer, William Means Real Estate, Christie’s International Real Estate; Brown Hamrick, Disher Hamrick & Myers; Lois Lane, Lane & Smythe Real Estate; John Liberatos, John Liberatos Real Estate Co.; Daniel Ravenel, Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty.
_______________

Cruise industry yields mixed business for local restaurants, Live 5 News- WCSC (Charleston, SC), February 21, 2012.

Go green with cruise ships, Post and Courier, February, 12, 2012, editorial.

10 years of cruise ship controversy , Post and Courier, February 10, 2012.
“Here’s a look back at where the issue stood in 2002, when the front-page story “Cruise Control” was published in The Post and Courier.”

Report on cruise industry should open the city’s eyes, Post and Courier, February 9, 2012, editorial.

Charleston and Cruise Industry: Can’t we just get along? , Chris Cruises,
February 8, 2012.

Groups call for terminal study,  Post and Courier, January 24, 2012,
DAVID SLADE.

(Merit-based study) Letter to the editor, Savannah Morning News, January 23, 2012, RANDY PELZER.

Full speed ahead to high court, Post and Courier, January 22, 2012, editorial.

Hunt, S. All Aboard? (2012, January) Charleston Magazine.
Pictures by Paul Zoeller.

Cruise Ships Win Anti-Environment Award for 2011, care2, December 31, 2011, Christine Lepisto. 

SPA should extend its fair-study criteria to cruise terminal, Post and Courier, December 28, 2011, RANDY PELZER. 

Native Hawaiians Take On Cruise Ship, Cruise Ship Sexual Assault BLOG, November 30, 2011

Continue debate on cruise ships, but without vilifying, Post and Courier, November 26, 2011, Commentary, Carrie Agnew, C4 executive director.

Endangered Charleston, Post and Courier, November 26, 2011, Editorial.
…”The Trust recognizes the city’s maritime history — we’re not saying ‘no cruise ships’ and never have.”  Mr. Brown (also) said the Trust is not anti-jobs, anti-port or anti-business, and he said the action is in keeping with the Trust’s and the Preservation Society’s — and Mayor Riley’s — stated acknowledgement that Charleston is fragile and “its preservation requires consistent vigilance and careful planning.”
…Mr. Brown referred to a College of Charleston study of the Preservation Society’s historic house tours, which found a little over 4,000 participants had a $2.5 million direct spending impact annually — $600 per visitor. That is in stark contrast to a study paid for by the State Ports Authority that showed more than 94,000 cruise ship visitors in 2010 had an impact in direct spending of just over $5.5 million — only $54 apiece.

Charleston Cruise Control ABC News video: Pollution in the Harbor, November 15, 2011.

The Cruise Ship Controversy: A Summary, Charleston News Alternative, October 19, 2011.

Preserve heritage tourism’s appeal in our living city, Post and Courier, October 18, 2011,
Commentary, KITTY ROBINSON, Executive director of the Historic Charleston Foundation.
…The Foundation’s proposed solution would not have a negative impact on jobs or the State Ports Authority’s ability to promote economic development for the state. Although there was widespread support for the Historic Charleston Foundation ordinance, it was not accepted by City Council. The Foundation’s proposed ordinance was intended to codify the SPA’s voluntary commitments by allowing a single-berth cruise passenger terminal downtown and accommodating its same voluntary recommendations:  one cruise ship at a time; cruise ships of up to 3,500 passengers; as many as 104 cruise ship visits per year.  It also would empower the city to:  institute and manage landside impacts; impose reasonable noise limitations; have the final say on threshold increases.
Our work continues as we strive for a solution that will maintain and enhance the delicate balance between heritage tourism and the quality of residential life.

City of Folly Beach wants cruise lines to account for pollution, Post and Courier, March 4, 2011.
With 67 cruise ship calls in Charleston last year, and 94 scheduled this year, concern about the impacts of cruise pollution is increasing.
Several neighborhood and quality of life groups in the area have proposed local safeguards to protect the community, but the City of Folly Beach has officially stepped forward to be the first municipality in Charleston County asking visiting cruise lines to prove their environmental commitments.

Fixing Charleston’s Cruise Problems, CruiseMates, October 7, 2011.
The city is one of the best preserved 19th century cities in America. It
resides on the tip of a tiny peninsula where it was founded and where the
historic district remains largely unchanged. The local residents are the
caretakers of the American heritage of the city, since the most important
historic buildings are its homes. Earlier in the year, concerns about cruises
led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to place Charleston on “watch
status.”
Right now Carnival is boarding and disembarking passengers on these budget
five-day Bahamas cruises in a cruise terminal that is just a few hundred yards
away from the historic district. It is important to note that the ship does not
use the city as a port of call with extensive tour offerings; it uses the city
as a place for cruisers to park their cars and board the ship.

Law Center Opposes Carnival petition to high court, Charleston Regional Business Journal, October 5, 2011

Reasonable cruise regulations should be more than a dream, Post and Courier, October 3, 2011, JAY WILLIAMS, C4 member

Historic Port City Debates ‘Cruise Control’, Fox News, September 27, 2011.  Video link

Are Cruise Ship Solutions Close at Hand?, Charleston Mercury, September 20, 2011, Editorial

Group seeks regulations for cruise industry in Lowcountry, Charleston Regional Business Journal, September 20, 2011

Ordinance Updates:
Council cruises off course, Post and Courier, September 15, 2011, Editorial
Charleston City Council had an opportunity to resolve the contentious cruise ship issue Tuesday night, but unfortunately it missed the boat.
Get City off watch list, Post and Courier, September 13, 2011. Editorial
Adopt Stronger Cruise Ordinance, Post and Courier, September 11, 2011, Editorial
Listen to the cruise ship critics, Post and Courier, August 31, 2011, DANIEL G. CAREY, President and CEO, Historic Savannah Foundation
…the recommendations recently articulated by Historic Charleston Foundation are worthy of immediate adoption and implementation.  Savannah has learned a lot from Charleston. But if bowing to cruise ships goes unchecked, then that’s a lesson we should ignore.
Pursue real cruise rules. Post and Courier, August 18, 2011, Editorial
Though inconsequential in substance, Charleston City Council’s new cruise ship ordinance does finally acknowledge that the city has some regulatory authority over the State Ports Authority. Council should pursue more meaningful cruise ship rules by further considering the stronger comprehensive plan submitted by the Historic Charleston Foundation.
City Council should opt for stronger cruise ship rules, Post and Courier, August 14, 2011, Editorial
Solid city ordinance needed to meet cruise ship challenge, Post and Courier, August 14, 2011,
Commentary, KITTY ROBINSON, Executive director of the Historic Charleston Foundation
Mayor’s  Cruise Ship ‘Ordinance’ Meaningless,  Charleston News Alternative, August 13, 2011
_______________

Senators, Representatives and City Councilmen:
Charleston City Council passes mayor’s cruise ordinance, Charleston Regional Business Journal, September 14, 2011, MATT TOMSIC.   Councilmen Jimmy Gallant, Michael Seekings and Blake Hallman voted against the ordinance. Councilmen William Dudley Gregorie and Tim Mallard were not present to vote…Seekings said that ordinances should have rights, responsibilities and remedies but that the cruise ordinance does not provide any recourse if council violates it. “That’s not an ordinance,” Seekings said. “That’s not a law; that’s a memo to ourselves.”  Seekings said council members should defer the vote and study their options, which include a proposed ordinance presented by Historic Charleston Foundation.
Evaluate all cruise terminal options, Post and Courier, September 13, 2011, Commentary, REP CHIP LIMEHOUSE, House District 110
As a member of the Charleston Legislative Delegation I would like to urge the South Carolina State Ports Authority to explore the possibility of alternative locations for the new cruise terminal.
SPA must weigh cruises’ impacts on quality of life, Post and Courier, September 10, 2011, Commentary, CHIP CAMPSEN, a Republican, represents District 43 (Charleston County) in the S.C. Senate.
The port’s first order of business should be rejection of the short-sighted paradigm that pits maritime commerce against quality of life as mutually exclusive. They actually work in concert. Secondly, the feasibility of utilizing part of the Columbus Street Terminal for cruise ships should be studied. This would spur redevelopment on Morrison Drive, mollify cruise ship traffic problems, and free more of Union Pier for redevelopment.
Cruise toward prosperity on the East Side, Post and Courier, August 25, 2011, Commentary*
I have long voiced my opposition to jamming too much government expansion south of Calhoun Street when other areas of the city could benefit from such development and economic activity.   I have taken many cruises myself. I know that cruise terminals are not located in residential areas, but away from such areas where their negative impacts are felt less by residents.
ROBERT FORD, a Charleston Democrat, represents District 42 in the S.C. Senate.  *Ford reversed his decision days later.
_______________

Cruise foes, port in power struggle: Shore-side electricity conflict raises pollution, cost issues, Post and Courier,September 12, 2011. ROBERT BEHRE. At least seven other U.S. ports provide some electrical connection for cruise ships to plug into while in port, leading to cleaner air –at least in the area immediately around the docks. But no such shore power is in the works here as the State Ports Authority plans to build a new $30 million cruise ship passenger terminal.

Cruise ship visits pose dilemma for Charleston, CBS Early Show, August 18, 2011, video of interviews with DANA BEACH, EVAN THOMPSON, and MAYOR JOE RILEY

Charleston Mercury Series:
The Elusive Economic Impact of Cruise Business, Part III, Charleston Mercury, July 26, 2011, TOM ROBINSON
Cruise Ships: Westward Woe?, Part II, Charleston Mercury, July 12, 2011, TOM ROBINSON
Charleston is not the only city struggling to balance the economic benefits of cruise ship tourism and its rather unfortunate downside: the toxic bilge discharge and horizon-blotting countenance that wreak havoc on our fragile environmental and arch…
A Tale of Atlantic Cities and Other Cruises, Part I, Charleston Mercury, June 28, 2011, TOM ROBINSON
Charleston is not the only city struggling to balance the economic benefits of cruise ship tourism and the downside its lowly toxic bilge and horizon-blotting countenance wreak on fragile environmental and architectural wonders.
_______________

Resolve cruise debate with reason, not acrimony, Post and Courier, July 24, 2011,
Commentary, HUGH LANE, president of the Bank of South Carolina

Make cruise study count, Post and Courier, July 24, 2011, Editorial

Historic preservation requires balanced cruise controls, Post and Courier, July 14, 2011,
Commentary, EVAN R. THOMPSON, Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Charleston

Union Pier wrong site for terminal, Post and Courier, July 7, 2011, Commentary, RANDY PELZER, C4 member, and KIRK GRANT, C4 director.

Jobs and the Port: Another Vision, Charleston Mercury, June 28, 2011, Editorial.

Opponents want limits on Charleston cruise ships, South Carolina Radio Network, June 28, 2011

SPA Sails Astray on Cruise Ship Course to Fantasy Land, Post & Courier , June 21, 2011,
Commentary, DANA BEACH, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League

An offer the city can’t refuse, Post and Courier, June 16, 2011

Managing Growth without Unfair Exceptions: “Watch Status” for Charleston, Park West Palazzo, June 15, 2011,
DR. GEORGE W. McDANIEL, Executive Director of Drayton Hall

11 Most Endangered Historic Places, Watch Status: City of Charleston, National Trust for Historic Preservation, June 15, 2011

Charleston placed on preservation ‘watch’ status for cruise ship impact, USAToday Travel, June 15, 2011

Local NBC Affiliate Lawsuit Coverage, WCBD, June 14, 2011 (video)

Cruise Ship Controversy: An Unnecessary War, Charleston News Alternative, June 14, 2011

Cruise ships welcome at right location with reasonable regulation, Post and Courier, April 17, 2011, Commentary, STEVE GATES and CARRIE AGNEW, C4 directors

Downtown neighborhood joins call for ship standards, Charleston City Paper, May 18, 2011

No traction on cruise ship standards- Mayor, Ports Authority indignant to concerns, Charleston City Paper, May 10, 2011, GREG HAMBRICK

More Regulations For Cruise Ships?, Charleston News Alternative, March 4, 2011

Don’t put new cruise terminal in the city’s historic district, Post and Courier, October 20, 2010,  RANDY PELZER, C4 Member.  This letter addresses reasons for an alternative cruise terminal site with three other possibilities mentioned: Columbus Street Terminal, New North Charleston Terminal and Wando Terminal.

Gang Way! Is courting the cruise industry good for Charleston?, Charleston City Paper, January 17, 2001