Singapore-based Unix Line has become the latest shipping company to plead guilty in U.S. federal court to violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to unlawful discharges at sea. In pleading guilty, Unix Line admitted that crew members onboard the 16,408 gross-ton tanker Zao...
magic pipe
Bernhard Schulte to Pay $1.75 Million Fine in Latest ‘Magic Pipe’ Pollution Case
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement has been sentenced to pay a $1.75 million criminal fine after pleading guilty to a felony charge related to illegal discharges from one of its vessels. The company was before Judge Derrick K. Watson of the District of Hawaii on Monday to plead guilty to one count of...
New Bedford-Based Fishing Vessel Owner and Operator Fined $1 Million for Illegal Discharges
The owner and operator of a New Bedford, Massachusetts-based fishing vessel fleet have been fined $1 million after pleading guilty to discharging oily bilge water from the vessels’ engine rooms. Sea Harvest, the operator of the fishing vessels Enterprise and Pacific Capes, along with Fishing Vessel...
U.S. Charges Foreign Shipping Companies, Engineer Over Illegal Dumping
The U.S. Justice Department has charged two foreign shipping companies and a first assistant engineer related to the alleged illegal dumping oily bilge water from a tanker near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. A federal grand jury in Oakland indicted Marshall Islands-based FGL Moon Marshall...
Liberian Shipping Companies to Pay $1.8 Million for Environmental Crimes in U.S.
Two Liberia-based shipping companies pled guilty today in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on one if its vessels, as well as violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by showing false documents to the Coast...
Portline Bulk to Pay USD 1.5 Mn Fine for Using Magic Pipe
Portline Bulk International pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and obstruction.
U.S. Charges Greek Ship Operator and Two Engineers Over Oily Waste Dumping, Cover-Up
The United States has charged a Greek cargo ship operator and two of its chief engineers with environmental crimes for allegedly failing to record the illegal dumping of oily waste into international waters and then obstructing justice by ordering the ship’s crew to lie about it. A federal grand...
Carnival to Pay $20 Million Fine After Admitting to Probation Violations in U.S.
Prince Cruise Lines and its parent company Carnival Corporation have been ordered to pay a $20 million criminal fine after admitting to violating the terms of its probation stemming from a previous conviction in which Princess was sentenced to pay a $40 million fine. Princess Cruise Line was...
Russian Captain Acquitted of MARPOL Violations in U.S.
A jury in the Western District of Louisiana has acquitted the Russian Master of an oil tanker on all charges related the illegal discharges from the vessel. After spending more than 19 months detained in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Captain Vjaceslavs Birzakovs, Master of the oil tanker RIDGEBURY...
Greek Shipping Companies to Pay $4 Million Fine for Illegal Discharges in Texas
Both the vessel Master and operator company previously admitted to lying to U.S. Coast Guard investigators. Two Greek shipping companies have been sentenced to pay a $4 million and serve probations related to charges stemming from multiple illegal discharges of oil into Texas waters by the oil...