US Federal Maritime Commission Creates New Enforcement Structure
The United States' Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Friday announced it creating a new bureau to handle its enforcement and compliance activities. The agency, which is responsible for the regulation of oceanborne international transportation of the U.S., said it is consolidating its investigative and prosecution functions into a newly created Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance (BEIC) effective immediately.FMC Chairman Daniel B. Maffei said the reorganization…
Chief Engineer Sentenced to Prison Term, Reports U.S. Attorney
The Chief Engineer of a Panamanian registered container ship was sentenced today in federal court to charges of conspiracy, obstruction, destruction of evidence, false statements and violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships in connection with the use of a secretly concealed "magic pipe" used to deliberately discharge tons of sludge and oil contaminated waste overboard. Michael J. Sullivan, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts; Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division; Rear Admiral David P. Pekoske, Commander, First Coast Guard District; and William Schenkelberg, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S.
Ship Company to Pay $10.5M for Covering up Oil Pollution
MSC Ship Management (Hong Kong) Limited—a Hong Kong-based container ship company—has agreed to plead guilty to charges that it engaged in conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, false statements and violated the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, the Department of Justice announced today. Per the terms of a plea agreement that must be approved by the court, MSC Ship Management will pay $10.5 million in penalties. This is the largest fine in which a single vessel has been charged with deliberate pollution and the largest criminal fine paid by a defendant in an environmental case in Massachusetts history. According to the plea agreement…
STCW Focus Team Chartered
RADM Robert C. North, the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, has chartered an STCW Implementation Focus and Coordination Team to monitor the progress of an coordinate efforts to implement the provisions of the International Convention on Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995 (STCW Convention). The team will develop a coordination plan which will explain how the USCG will monitor and coordinate the steps being taken in the U.S. through the implementation period to give the STCW Convention full and complete effect. The team's leader is Capt. Bob Skewes…
STCW Focus Team Chartered
RADM Robert C. North, the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, has chartered an STCW Implementation Focus and Coordination Team to monitor the progress of an coordinate efforts to implement the provisions of the International Convention on Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995 (STCW Convention). The team will develop a coordination plan which will explain how the USCG will monitor and coordinate the steps being taken in the U.S. through the implementation period to give the STCW Convention full and complete effect. The team's leader is Capt. Bob Skewes…
