Samsung Heavy Fined for Spill
A South Korean court fined Samsung Heavy Industries Co. $28,870 for its involvement in a major oil spill, reports said. The local court also sentenced two crew members to up to three years in prison for violating the ocean pollution law. The fine and prison sentences were the maximum allowed under the law. The crew members piloted two tugboats pulling a Samsung-operated crane-carrying barge that slammed into the Hong Kong-registered tanker Hebei Spirit on Dec. 7, causing it to release nearly 80,000 barrels of oil into 's coastal waters. The court also ruled that Hebei Spirit Shipping Co., the owner of the oil tanker, and two of its crew members were not guilty of pollution charges. Source: China Post
Tanker Owner in Spill Denies Wrongdoing
According to reports, the owner and operators of the tanker involved in South Korea's worst oil spill denied any wrongdoing, but offered sympathy to locals affected by the environmental fallout and their insurer agreed to accept claims for compensation. The Dec. 7 accident occurred after a barge owned by Samsung Group slammed into Hong Kong-registered tanker Hebei Spirit, which leaked 78,920 barrels of oil into western coastal waters. But the owner of Hebei Spirit, Hebei Spirit Shipping Co., and its operator, V. Ships, both denied wrongdoing at a press conference in Hong Kong on Thursday. The accident jeopardized the ecosystem and the livelihood of residents in the area, home to some of the country's most scenic beaches.
