USCG Levies $100,000 Civil Penalty

USCG hearing officers imposed a preliminary assessment for $100,000 in a civil penalty case against foreign tankship Kriti Amethyst for violations of U.S. marine pollution regulations. In June 1998, nearly 200 barrels were found washed up on South Texas beaches. Some of the drums contained hazardous substances; however, most were found to be empty. The USCG MSO and Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission led response efforts over a two-week cleanup period. The USCG also followed up with an investigation to identify the person or persons responsible for the drums. Labels found on some of the drums led to the identification of M/V Kriti Amethyst as the responsible party for 30 of the drums. Kriti Amethyst is a 600-ft. Greek tankship owned by Avin International Corp. in Greece. The penalty levied against them was for violation of U.S. law, specifically for "discharging garbage within a special area," the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the civil penalty, the National Pollution Fund Center can seek reimbursement for costs associated with the drum cleanup.