06:06 PM PDT on Thursday, September 18, 2003

By GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News

SEATTLE – Scientists have discovered a serious side-effect of a booming industry. They say those big cruiseliners are pumping up more than just the local economy, they're pumping possibly dangerous chemicals into the air.

It's a potential snag as the industry and the Port of Seattle plan for a big increase in cruiseships on Seattle’s waterfront.

KING The smoke stacks burn constantly while the ship sits in port.

The smoke stacks burn constantly for the 8 to 12 hours each liner sits in port. It mixes right in with the rest of the busy traffic on the waterfront.

"One ship creates the air pollution of more than all this traffic combined, just idling for the day at the dock,” said Fred Felleman, Ocean Advocates, pointing an the traffic.

And with the number of big cruiseliners expected to double in Seattle over the next few years, state agencies are worried about a toxic diesel buildup.

There's already a whole lot of diesel-burning going on in the Seattle port area without the cruiseships’ increase. What really has these groups and agencies concerned is startling new research about diesel that has them looking at it a whole new way.

"We're focused on the health aspects from diesel because we know the ultrafine particles from diesel are the kind of particles that are so fine, they bypass the defenses of the lung,” said Dennis McLerran, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

Once touted for being a healthier fuel choice, scientists now fear diesel fuel, especially marine-grade diesel used by ships, is extremely harmful.

KING Seattle welcomes the cruiseship business, but there is a concern about health risks.

"We found out this summer that was not happening and they had actually not made that commitment to us," said Wayne Grotheer, Port of Seattle.

Without that commitment the cruiselines would not have been allowed to build its big new pier in Seattle.

"We determined after we looked into this, that it was unsafe to use this grade of diesel fuel because of the flash point, because it’s highly volatile," said Tom Dow, Princess Cruises.

The cruiselines promise they'll have cleaner burning engines on their ships next year, but there will be more of them.

"I mean this is the front door of Seattle, of the city. There are a lot of people concentrated down there and there's no question that kind of concentration of diesel is going to have negative health effects,” said Eric de Place, Northwest Environmental Watch.

Talks are underway to determine how the powerful new industry to Seattle can keep pumping up the economy without posing a health threat.

Puget Sound Clean Air officials say they will demand the industry cut down its diesel emissions.

Cruiseline officials say they're working on it.