ITALIAN shipping company Carbofin SPA has pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from its vessel Marigola. It has agreed to pay US$2.75 million in criminal penalty.
Italian carrier pays US$2.7 million fine for marine pollution off FloridaITALIAN shipping company Carbofin SPA has pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from its vessel Marigola. It has agreed to pay US$2.75 million in criminal penalty.
The US Justice Department said the 17,150-dwt liquid petroleum gas tanker called on the port of Tampa on three occasions in 2013 and 2014 with a falsified oil record book.
The US Coast Guard's investigation began on April 16, when the ship called on the port of Tampa to unload its cargo.
During that examination, two crewmembers approached the Coast Guard inspectors and provided them with a mobile phone video that showed a black hose connected between two points in the engine room, called a "magic hose," used to discharge the oily bilge overboard, reported American Shipper.
Under the terms of its plea agreement, Carbofin agreed to pay the penalty, of which $600,000 will be designated as community service and used to support the preservation of natural resources located in and adjacent to the Florida National Keys Marine Sanctuary.
The vessel's second engineer also pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for his role in the offence. The ship's chief engineer, who was responsible for maintaining the ship's oil record book, was also charged.