Some countries are cutting this source of marine pollution. Will Alaska do the same?

Some countries are cutting this source of marine pollution. Will Alaska do the same?

Cruise ships docks in Skagway during the 2025 summer season. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS) In July, a state inspector boarded a cruise ship in Juneau for a routine review. The inspector’s report includes a photo that shows a metal drum full of chunky, black sludge — a mixture laden with sulfur and heavy metals. That particular drum was slated to be offloaded on land, in British Columbia. But on many ships, systems known as scrubbers ensure the toxic slu…