Ship Owner Fined, Whistleblower Rewarded

The US Attorney for the Western District of Washington said that a ship owner was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $500,000, make a $250,000 community service payment, and serve four years probation for failing to maintain an accurate oil record book on one of its ships. The crewmember who reported the offense to the Coast Guard has been rewarded with one-half of the fine ($250,000). The company must institute an environmental compliance program and hire a third-party auditor to ensure that its personnel follow the program. Source: HK Law