On Thursday, City Council passed the “Our Air Our Water” Act, which will require cruise ships to connect to electric power on shore instead of burning diesel and causing pollution in New York City’s waters. The law will take effect immediately. The passing of this bill was a huge victory for Councilmember Alexa Avilés and the Red Hook community, but the legislation will affect cruise ship operators city-wide. While Red Hook’s terminal is the only one on the East Coast which provides a hook-up to shore power, not all vessels have the capability to plug in, as there is still no universal power connection for ships. However, a “mobile jib” should be in effect by the end of 2024 is expected to aid ships in connecting to the city’s power grid. The bill also demands traffic mitigation plans for neighborhoods impacted by cruise ships at berth, including Red Hook. One of the largest cruise ships in the world, the MSC Meraviglia, docks in Red Hook and creates gridlock traffic from passenger vehicles and delivery trucks and vans servicing warehouses. In a statement, Councilmember Avilés said, “I remain committed to elevating our people over profits and putting community health and needs over the corporate greed of the last mile polluters and the cruise ship industry. This fight is far from over.”
Bill aims to stop pollution from Red Hook cruise ships
