South Carolina Supreme Court to hear cruise ship lawsuit

June 16, 2012

South Carolina: The growing cruise industry in the harbors of Charleston, South Carolina, has some locals worried. So worried, in fact, that the local Coastal Conservation League and the Preservation Society of Charleston filed a lawsuit one year ago to stop the expansion of Carnival Cruise lines.

On June 14, 2012, Judge Clifton Newton, acting as referee, held a hearing to gather evidence from both sides. The next stop will be the state Supreme Court, which has decided to take on the case and allow it to bypass the lower courts.

The expansion in question is a $35 million cruise ship terminal. The South Carolina State Ports Authority and the city of Charleston have joined sides with the cruise line, explaining that the industry boosts the local economy. Opponents point to congestion, pollution and claim that the large ships violate city ordinances.