Cruise ships in Weymouth Bay are not causing local pollution says Dorset Council
They've hit back at claims made by Extinction Rebellion.
Dorset Council has defended its claim that cruise ships moored in Weymouth Bay are not adding to local pollution.
The statement has been challenged by Extinction Rebellion which says emissions from the ships can be clearly seen and has contributed to a smog in the area.
A question to the council from local campaigner Caz Dennett says the Bay currently has the characteristics of a busy port with the number of large cruise ships moored there.
“What evidence does Dorset Council have to state publicly that the air quality in Weymouth Bay is unchanged by the presence of the cruise ships between March–September 2020 and that residents are unfounded in their concerns over cruise ships emissions?” she said in a question to this week’s Cabinet meeting.ustomer and community services brief holder Cllr Jill Haynes said that emissions from ships are governed by international conventions.
She said the council’s monitoring of nitrogen dioxide levels throughout Dorset during the period since the ships arrived had found a significant reduction in levels, largely due to reduced traffic because of the lockdown.
"During March and April, Defra reported moderate to high pollution across most of the South West England, including rural areas.
"The cause has been attributed to dust and other particulates from continental Europe carried over by prevailing winds then lingering in the calm conditions.
"The same conditions also limit the dispersion of local emissions, most notably, particulates."
She said that Southampton City Council had not identified any concerns with regards to sulphur dioxide emissions breaching the Air Quality Objective when their port is fully operational.
"They advise that concentrations drop rapidly once emitted from the flue of the ships and are likely to be negligible should the wind direction be towards the land.
"They found that there is no correlation between peaks in pollutant concentrations and a high number of berthed vessels.
"This is thought to be a result of energy usage per ship being far lower in berth than when under power at sea."