Dumped Oil News

Indonesia's coast guard said on Tuesday it seized an Iranian-flagged supertanker suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil, and vowed to toughen maritime patrols.The MT Arman 114 was carrying 272,569 metric tons of light crude oil, valued at 4.6 trillion rupiah ($304 million), when it was seized last week, the Indonesian authorities said.The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) was suspected of transferring oil to another vessel without a permit on Friday, the Southeast Asian nation's maritime security agency said.The vessel was captured after being spotted in Indonesia's North Natuna Sea, carrying out a ship-to-ship oil transfer with the Cameroon-flagged MT S Tinos, the agency's chief, Aan Kurnia, said.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that an assertion by an employee that the employer failed to report illegal discharges of oil does not establish a right of action under the False Claims Act. In the instant case, plaintiff employee alleged that defendant employer, which operated offshore drilling units in the Gulf of Mexico under leases from the federal government, illegally dumped oil and other waste into waters of the Gulf and failed to report those discharges in its oil record book. The federal government declined to prosecute defendant for the alleged violations. Plaintiff filed an action against defendant under the False Claims Act, which allows a prevailing claimant to recover a portion of the false claim.

Agents for the owner of a cargo ship that dumped oil into San Francisco Bay have agreed to pay $2 million to the city of San Francisco, the AP reported Thousands of birds died, beaches closed and the crabbing season was delayed after the 900-ft. Cosco Busan sideswiped the Bay Bridge. The crash cut a gash in the hull, and 54,000 gallons of oil were spilled. The agreement was reached with Hudson Marine Management Services of Pennsauken, N.J., acting on behalf of the ship's Hong Kong-based owner, Regal Stone Ltd. Source: AP

Shashank Pendse, a citizen of India and Chief Engineer on the ship M/V Spring Drake; MMS Co., Ltd, a Japanese company that manages the ship; and Grus Line Shipping S.A., the Panamanian company that owns the ship; were all indicted on Feb. 6 in on charges that allege they dumped oil at sea, obstructed justice and made false statements. In Aug. 2003, the Spring Drake was docked in Portland to pick up a load of grain when it was inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard. The indictment alleges that the ship dumped oil and oily sludge at sea through a pipe that bypassed the ship's pollution control equipment, the defendants attempted to conceal evidence of the illegal oil discharges, and they made false entries in the ship's Oil Record Book. The release of oil at sea can harm fish and wildlife.

Three companies that own and operate an oceangoing chemical tanker named the M/T Clipper Trojan were indicted in connection with an attempt by crew members to cover up the illegal dumping of oily waste in international waters, the Justice Department announced. The 11-count indictment named Clipper Wonsild Tankers Holding A/S and Clipper Marine Services A/S, both of which are Danish companies that operate and manage the M/T Clipper Trojan, and Trojan Shipping Co. Ltd., a Bahamas company that is the registered owner of the M/T Clipper Trojan, as defendants. All three companies are part of The Clipper Group A/S, a global shipping consortium based in Denmark.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the world's second-largest passenger cruise line, was fined $6.5 million on Oct. 21 for dumping oily bilge water and other pollutants into Alaskan waters. "I find the circumstances of this case truly egregious," U.S. District Judge John Sedwick said in handing down the sentence. "What happened is inexcusable. Sedwick placed the Miami-based cruise line on five years' probation and ordered Royal Caribbean to adhere to stringent environmental oversight, within the company and on every cruise ship. Quarterly reports are to be filed to several federal agencies, including the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency. The court suspended $3 million of the fine in return for prompt payment of the remainder, a U.S. attorney said later.

To the dismay of some oil companies, as well as oil, freight, and passenger shipping companies, a growing number of environmental prosecutors are seeking - and winning - fines and punishments they insist are high enough to deter pollution from deliberate or even accidental oil pollution. The U.S. consistently leads the world in such prosecutions, although Canada, Australia, and a growing number of European nations are following suit. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL), the world's second largest cruise operator, has been the most prominent catch - paying more than $27 million in fines in the U.S. over the past two years. In court, RCCL…