Groups say lower court should hear SC cruise case

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Groups challenging South Carolina’s expanding cruise industry say their lawsuit should be heard at the local level, not in the state Supreme Court.

A neighborhood group as well as a preservation organization and environmental groups sued this year saying the expanded cruise industry violates Charleston’s city rules and regulations.

The suit was filed against Carnival Cruise Lines and later the city and the State Ports Authority intervened. Last summer the defendants asked the Supreme Court to take immediate jurisdiction of the case, saying it could have repercussions for the state’s entire maritime industry.

In a response filed with the court this week, those suing say their claims apply only to Carnival and that other maritime operations don’t create noise and traffic problems in historic neighborhoods.