SINGAPORE-based Odfjell Asia II and one of its senior crew members, has pleaded guilty in a US federal court in Hartford, Connecticut, for discharging oily bilge in international waters.
Under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, Odfjell will pay a fine totalling US$1.2 million fine, reports London's Tanker Operator. A senior engineering officer will be sentenced on May 14 for his role in the affair.
The 46,000 dwt Bow Lind was boarded by US Coast Guard in New Haven which discovered that while in international waters, the vessel discharged machinery space bilge water into the sea.
"The defendants violated environmental laws that protect our oceans, the world's fisheries and marine life, from harmful pollution," said Assistant Attorney General Robert Dreher.
"Today's conviction ensures they will be held accountable with a stiff criminal fine. We hope this sends a strong message to the shipping industry that committing environmental crimes at sea will not be tolerated."
At the direction of senior engineer Ramil Leuterio, crew members bypassed pollution prevention equipment that was in place to ensure that any discharged bilge water contain less than 15 parts per million of oil. The crew then concealed the illegal discharges by making misleading entries and omissions in the vessel's oil record book.
According to several engine room crew members, Leuterio directed them to use a complex system to transfer the bilge water from the bilge holding tank to the sewage tank, the US Justice Department said. From the sewage tank, the bilge water was dumped directly into the sea without passing through pollution prevention equipment.
Once the bilge holding tank was emptied, Leuterio directed the lower ranking crew members to put clean fresh water and salt water into the tank. As the pollution prevention equipment automatically records the time it is being operated, Leuterio then processed the clean water through the prevention equipment, thereby creating an electronic record to account for the bilge water that had bypassed the equipment and been discharged directly overboard, according to the statements.
US District Judge Vanessa Bryant has scheduled sentencing for May 14, the US Justice Department said.
WORLD SHIPPING
13 March 2014 - 20:00
US fines Singapore's Odfjell US$2.1 million for dumping oily bilge at sea
SINGAPORE-based Odfjell Asia II and one of its senior crew members, has pleaded guilty in a US federal court in Hartford, Connecticut, for discharging oily bilge in international waters.
WORLD SHIPPING
13 March 2014 - 20:00
US fines Singapore's Odfjell US$2.1 million for dumping oily bilge at sea
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