Holland America agreed to pay a $200,000 fine, to donate $500,000 to a nonprofit environmental foundation and to spend $1.3 million to establish a new environmental compliance plan, said US Attorney Tim Burgess and Rear Admiral James Olson of the US Coast Guard’s Alaska district.
The company did not offer comment. The fine is the first since stricter ship sewage water treatment rules were adopted four years ago.
An investigation into the discharge began in August of 2002 when a Juneau resident noticed a suspicious discharge coming from a docked Holland America cruise ship, the Ryndam.
Officials notified the ship of the discha?ge, but crew members failed to properly respond, according to a plea agreement signed by the company.
Holland America admitted it lacked adequate controls and failed to properly detect and report the discharge, which was untreated sewage, according to the plea agreement.
The $500,000 donation will go to the National Forest Foundation for use in reducing sewage and other water pollution in southeast Alaska, federal officials said.