Oily Water Bilge Discharge Incurs Hefty NZ Fine
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says the $10,500 fine sends a clear message to polluters of New Zealand waters. Southern Storm Fishing Ltd, owners of the fishing vessel Oyang 75, was sentenced in Christchurch District Court on a charge under the Maritime Transport Act 1994 of failure to notify two harmful discharges to sea. “The rules around discharging waste are clear – we will not allow any operators to flout these regulations and damage New Zealand’s marine environment,” MNZ Manager Intelligence and Planning Paul Fantham said. On 8 August 2011, MNZ inspectors discovered a concealed piping arrangement aboard the Oyang 75 that allowed unfiltered bilge effluent, containing oil, to be discharged directly into the sea when a hidden pump switch was turned on.
Pipeline Contractor Sentenced for Safety Failure
According to Maritime New Zealand, the lead contractor on Christchurch's ocean outfall pipeline project has been convicted and fined $115,000 plus costs, after admitting a series of safety lapses on the project - two of the breaches occurring the same day as another accident killed two workers. In the Christchurch District Court on Dec. 9, McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd were sentenced after earlier admitting one charge under Section 68 of the Maritime Transport Act (MTA) 1994 and one charge under sections 50 and 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act (HSEA) 1992, resulting in fines of $10,000 and $50,000 respectively. The company was also ordered to pay court costs of $130 on each charge.
