Illegal Oil Discharges News

Two Greek shipping companies have been fined $4 million in a U.S. plea deal for not reporting 2017 illegal oil discharges by a tanker at some Texas ports.“Two Greek shipping companies, Avin International LTD and Nicos IV Special Maritime Enterprises, were sentenced today on charges stemming from several discharges of oil into the waters of Texas ports,” the Department of Justice said in a press release.The companies in November pleaded guilty to obstruction of an agency proceeding, failure to report discharge of oil and negligent discharge of oil.Avin International was the operator and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises was the owner of the Nicos I.V., which is a Greek-flagged vessel.

Norbulk Shipping UK Ltd, a company based in Glasgow, U.K., and operator of the reefer cargo ship M/V Murcia Carrier, pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an accurate oil record book in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and providing false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) concerning the vessel’s garbage record book. The company was sentenced to pay a criminal penalty of $750,000 and placed on three years of probation by the Honorable Joseph H. Rodriguez, the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today. “Our oceans are life giving and life sustaining resources that our country and our world depend upon,” said Assistant Attorney General John C.

U.S. Carbofin S.p.A., an Italian domiciled company that owned and operated the M/T Marigola was sentenced to pay an overall criminal penalty of $2.75 million for knowingly falsifying the vessel’s oil record book in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), announced the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. During 2013 and 2014, on numerous international voyages, senior members of the crew of the M/T Marigola directed the installation and use of a so-called “magic hose” to dispose of sludge, waste oil and oil-contaminated bilge water directly into the sea bypassing required pollution prevention equipment.

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.

In Hong Kong on November 6, INTERTANKO's Environmental Committee Chairman, Doctor Paolo d'Amico, announced the launch of the INTERTANKO Environmental Challenge. A number of major issues and concerns that continue to face the tanker industry, and which are high on the agenda of national governments, environmental organisations, the public at large and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), have been identified by the INTERTANKO Environmental Committee. The aim is to promote and then reward through extensive worldwide publicity, cost-effective, practical solutions to the identified issues and concerns that represent significant breakthroughs.