AMERICAN authorities have levied US$3 million in fines against the owner and operator of the 8,016-dwt tanker, Ocean Princess, for burning fuel that exceeded the sulphur pollution limits in the US-Caribbean emission control area (ECA), reports New York's FreightWaves.
Gretchen Shappert, US attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, announced that the owner of the ship, Lily Shipping Ltd, of the Maldives and its operator, Ionian Shipping & Trading Corp, of Piraeus were each fined $1.5 million.
Three officers - master Stamatios Alekidis, chief engineer Athanasios Pittas and chief officer Rey Espulgar - also were convicted and sentenced for various pollution, record keeping and obstruction of justice crimes. They were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered not to return to the United States on a ship during that time. Espulgar also was fined $3,000.
WORLD SHIPPING
Gretchen Shappert, US attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, announced that the owner of the ship, Lily Shipping Ltd, of the Maldives and its operator, Ionian Shipping & Trading Corp, of Piraeus were each fined $1.5 million.
Three officers - master Stamatios Alekidis, chief engineer Athanasios Pittas and chief officer Rey Espulgar - also were convicted and sentenced for various pollution, record keeping and obstruction of justice crimes. They were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered not to return to the United States on a ship during that time. Espulgar also was fined $3,000.
WORLD SHIPPING