Provincial Court News

The Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board said on Tuesday that it has laid three charges following a 2018 oil spill off Canada's Atlantic Coast.The board said it laid the charges against Husky Oil Operations Limited for the spill in the White Rose Field. Cenovus Energy has since then acquired Husky.A leaking flowline from the White Rose Field to the SeaRose floating production, storage and offloading unit spilled 250 cubic meters (1,572 barrels) of oil in November, 2018, temporarily shutting down all crude production in the waters of Newfoundland and Labrador.Last month, Cenovus struck a deal with Suncor Energy to decrease its stake in White Rose and raise Suncor's ownership…

Duncan Sharpe of Gander, Kevin Blackler of St. John’s, and Richard Worthman of Heart’s Delight were convicted for improperly harvesting seals in accordance with humane harvesting requirements under the Canadian federal Fisheries Act. Sharpe and Blackler were convicted in Gander Provincial Court on October 21. They have each been fined $1,250 to be paid within six months and forfeited 11 Harp seals. The offences occurred on April 30 in the Twillingate area. Worthman was convicted in Harbor Grace Provincial Court on November 5. He has been fined $1,000 to be paid within six months, and forfeited a clubbing device and seal pelts valued at $154.25.

Business owners on Koh Samet island are suing a state-owned petroleum enterprise for the oil spill that polluted the resort island's beaches last year. More than 50,000 litres of crude oil leaked from pipeline operated by PTT Global Chemical in July 2013 and blackened several beaches on Koh Samet island, reports Khaosod English. Pitsanu Khemaphan, president of the Restaurant and Hotel Association on Koh Samet, arrived at Rayong Provincial Court with his lawyer  to file a lawsuit against PTT Global Chemical for the incident, demanding 300 million baht (US$9.4 million) in compensation. The suit was co-filed by owners of Nimmanoradee Resort, Samet Cabana World Resort, and Heaven Resort, who say their businesses were severely affected by the oil spill.

A Prince Edward Island provincial court judge has ordered the vessel BBC Nordland to pay a $15k penalty for illegally discharging a pollutant in Canadian waters. On February 22, 2008, the BBC Nordland, a Gibraltar registered General Dry Cargo vessel, that was docked at the Port of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, spilled approximately 300 litres of hydraulic oil during offloading operations. As a result of the investigation carried out by Transport Canada, charges under the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals of the Canada Shipping Act were laid against the vessel in Prince Edward Island provincial court.

A Halifax Provincial Court Judge has imposed a penalty of $80,000 against the Motor Vessel Alida Gorthon for a pollution offense. The Alida Gorthon is a 12,750 GRT general cargo vessel owned by Blow Sea Shipping Ltd. and registered in Cyprus. The vessel faced charges under the Canada Shipping Act related to the unlawful discharge of a pollutant and failure to report the discharge of a pollutant. The charges were laid following a June 22, 2007 pollution incident in which an oil slick of less than 13 gallons was spotted in the vessel's wake, approximately 124 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Advanced detection equipment aboard Transport Canada's Dash 8 surveillance aircraft was instrumental in detecting and gathering evidence in the case against the vessel.

Transport Minister David Collenette today announced that the federal government has successfully prosecuted the MV Cape Benat, a Liberian-registered chemical tanker, for spilling canola oil in Vancouver Harbour. The pollution incident occurred while the vessel was loading canola crude oil at Vanterm, in the Port of Vancouver, on November 23 and 24, 1999. The MV Cape Benat is owned by the Cape Benat Navigation Company of Liberia and operated by Columbia Ship Management of Cyprus. The vessel was charged with unlawfully discharging a noxious liquid substance into Canadian waters, a violation of the Canada Shipping Act. The British Columbia Provincial Court imposed a $60,000 penalty on the vessel owner, the Cape Benat Navigation Company.

The wreck of the TASMAN SPIRIT has been successfully removed. The aft section was re-floated on Saturday, March 6, and was yesterday delivered to buyers at Gadani Beach in the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan. This follows the earlier removal of the forward section of the tanker that had run aground in the channel into Karachi Port on July 27 last year. The wreck removal contractors SMIT Salvage B.V., were operating under a wreck removal contract agreed with The American Club, the vessel’s liability insurers. Speaking in London, Brian Davies, Claims Director of The American Club said, ‘We are very pleased with the outcome. SMIT have completed a difficult operation under difficult circumstances well within the required time frame.

The Fishing Vessel (FV) Olga was fined $113,000 in provincial court in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador for violations under the Canada Shipping Act associated with the unlawful discharge of an oily substance into Canadian waters. On April 5, 2001, a Canadian Coast Guard aerial surveillance flight spotted an oil slick about two miles long by 10 m wide off the coast of Newfoundland, about 140 km northeast of St. John's. A subsequent investigation by Transport Canada revealed that the slick originated from the FV Olga when approximately 40,000 liters of ballast water contaminated by bilge water was pumped overboard. As a result, the…

Canadian waters. diesel fuel while transferring the fuel from a supply vessel. provincial court. Court, and $35,000 to the Environmental Damages Fund. operations and to prosecuting marine polluters whenever there is sufficient evidence. imposed by the courts act as a deterrent for any would-be polluter. eliminate ship-source marine pollution in Canadian waters.

Transport Minister David Collenette today announced that the federal government has successfully prosecuted the M/V Cala Palamos, a Cypriot-registered container vessel, owned by Nordpartner of Limassol, Cyprus and operated by Oldendorff K.E., based in Limassol, Cyprus, for the Canada Shipping Act (CSA) violation of unlawfully discharging an oily substance into Canadian waters. The pollution incident occurred while the vessel was berthed at Pier 36, in the Port of Halifax, on February 21, 2002. The vessel’s owner, Nordpartner, was assessed a penalty of $100,000 by the Nova Scotia Provincial Court in Halifax. Under the polluter pays provisions of the Canada Shipping Act…

A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has ordered the Motor Vessel (MV) Project Europa to pay a $70,000 penalty for violations of the Canada Shipping Act associated with the unlawful discharge of an oily substance into Canadian waters. On August 23, 2003, a Government of Canada marine pollution surveillance flight detected a slick in the wake of MV Project Europa, a cargo ship registered in the Netherlands and owned by Biglift Goedkoop B.V.of Amsterdam. At the time, the vessel was approximately 65 miles south of Cape Race, NL and was traveling from Spain towards Montreal. Transport Canada Marine Safety in St. John's, NL made arrangements for the ship to be boarded at Trois-Rivières, Québec.

A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has ordered the Motor Vessel (MV) Project Europa to pay a $70,000 penalty for violations of the Canada Shipping Act associated with the unlawful discharge of an oily substance into Canadian waters. On August 23, 2003, a Government of Canada marine pollution surveillance flight detected a slick in the wake of MV Project Europa, a cargo ship registered in the Netherlands and owned by Biglift Goedkoop B.V.of Amsterdam. At the time, the vessel was approximately 65 miles south of Cape Race, NL and was traveling from Spain towards Montreal. Transport Canada Marine Safety in St. John's, NL made arrangements for the ship to be boarded at Trois-Rivières, Québec.

A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has ordered the Motor Vessel (MV) Nordic Fighter, a Norwegian-registered tanker, to pay a $70,000 penalty for illegally discharging a pollutant in Canadian waters. On June 22, 2004, a routine Transport Canada marine pollution surveillance flight detected three slicks in the wake of the MV Front Fighter (now known as the Nordic Fighter). The pollution incident was detected approximately 85 miles southwest of Cape St. Mary’s, NL. The Front Fighter was traveling from Yorktown, Virginia toward Whiffen Head, Newfoundland and Labrador at the time. Upon its arrival at Whiffen Head on June 23…