Passenger Vessel Industry Develops Green Manual

PVA Launches WATERS Program on Earth Day to Share Practical Environmentally Friendly Measures

Alexandria, VA (22 April 2009): The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), the nation's representative of owners and operators of U.S.-flagged passenger vessels of all types, today launched PVA WATERS – “We Are Taking Environmental Responsibility/Stewardship” – environmental conservation program coinciding with Earth Day 2009. This voluntary program for PVA members provides a comprehensive look at the “Green” movement through realistic approaches for owners and operators to adopt or expand environmentally friendly practices.

“Our members understand the importance of protecting the environment,” said Bill Clark of South Ferry, Inc. Shelter Island, NY and PVA President, “The waterways are our livelihood; the PVA WATERS program demonstrates our industry’s continued commitment to cleaner, more environmentally friendly operations.”

The PVA WATERS program “Best Green Business Practices” manual shares practical, cost-effective “green initiatives” through case studies and examples tailored specifically to the passenger vessel industry that introduce environmentally friendly measures and their impact on the environment and public opinion.

“Environmental regulations, once viewed as onerous, have led to rethinking how we use our waterways” said John Groundwater, Executive Director, PVA, “Today, more and more, operators actively pursue and implement environmentally friendly practices well beyond regulation to protect our most valuable resource — the water. We realize that “going green” makes good business sense as our customers have become much more environmentally conscience.”

In addition to the manual, the association has created a new PVA WATERS logo to identify environmentally friendly information and developed a “green” web environment that includes easy-to-use checklists for PVA members to use in assessing current environmental practices and generating new ideas to improve environmental practices from vessel design and construction and operations to back-office administration.
The PVA WATERS manual, articles and other information on environmentally friendly practices are available at www.passengervessel.com by clicking on the PVA WATERS logo.

• About the Passenger Vessel Association

The Passenger Vessel Association is the national association representing the interests of owners and operators of dinner cruise vessels, sightseeing and excursion vessels, car and passenger ferries, gaming vessels, private charter boats, whale watching and eco-tour vessels, day-sailers and windjammer sailing vessels, overnight cruise ships and amphibious DUKW. PVA members operate U.S. Coast Guard certificated, Canadian Coast Guard or state inspected vessels. The passenger vessel industry carries more than 200 million passengers each year. Visit PVA on the Internet at: www.passengervessel.com.

PVA Contact:

John Groundwater | 703.518.5005