The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary proposes to require large vessels -- of 300 tons or more -- not to dump sewage while passing through the sanctuary. The Sanctuary will accept comments through 30 May.
By a geographical coincidence, the primary shipping lanes from Asia to Los Angeles run through the Santa Barbara Channel; it's shorter than the path outside the islands. The shipping lanes transit the northeastern corner of the Sanctuary. About 7,000 vessels pass though each year.
To me it seems like a good idea: keep sewage from ships out of the Sanctuary. Sewage from ships is usually not treated much. The Channel is one water mass, inhabited by a lot of marine creatures; so even better would be to dump the sewage further from land, where it is more diluted; or even to treat it before dumping, even though that might increase the cost of shipping stuff from Asia.
