US Court

Shipping company fined $1,750,000 for false report on oil record book

A vessel operating company has been fined by the US Department of Justice to pay the amount of $1,750,000 and serve a 4-year term of probation for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tank vessel Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.

Specifically, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE LTD’s chief engineer and second engineer pleaded guilty of being involved in federal court.

It is reported that...

https://safety4sea.com/shipping-company-fined-1750000-for-false-report-on-oil-record-book/

Two shipping companies, crew member charged for oily waste dumping

A federal grand jury in Oakland charged two shipping companies and a First Assistant Engineer with failing to maintain an Oil Record Book for bilge water discharges into the sea about three nautical miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge and with obstruction of justice, the US Department of Justice announced.

The indictment alleges that the 16,408 gross-ton, ocean-going motor tanker ‘Zao Galaxy’ was owned by FGL Moon Marshall Limited, a Marshall Islands company, and operated by Unix Line Pte Ltd.,...

https://safety4sea.com/two-shipping-companies-crew-member-charged-for-oily-waste-dumping/

US Court urges Carnival to address ocean pollution problems quicker

A federal judge urged Carnival to work faster, in order to mitigate ocean pollution problems, that the company has caused. Namely, during a hearing in Miami, US District Judge Patricia Seitz noted that more concrete actions and less promises are needed from Carnival.

Currently, Carnival has been sentenced in a five-year probation, regarding a 2016 criminal pollution conviction. The company is halfway through the sentence.

For the company’s side, the Chairman and the CEO said that the company has...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-urges-carnival-to-address-ocean-pollution-problems-quicker/

US Court decides on bystander emotional distress claims

In the US a shipowner may face emotional distress claims from third parties, passengers or crew who witness traumatic events that take place on or near an associated ship, Standard Club informs.

The test under most of the US case law is whether the claimant was in the ‘zone of danger’ when the incident happened. The US Court of Appeals in the Eleventh Circuit (which includes Florida) recently further defined the ‘zone of danger’ test.

Namely, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-decides-on-bystander-emotional-distress-claims/

US Court presses US $300 million charges to former Aegean Marine directors

US court documents reveal that the former Directors and Officers of the Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc face a US $300 million lawsuit, after allegations that they took advantage of the company’s cash and assets and contributed to its bankruptcy.

#Timeline#

  1. The company files for bankruptcy in November 2018.
  2. The Company emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercuria Energy Group Limited.
  3. Aegean Marine officially becomes Minerva Bunkering.

The action filed in...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-presses-us-300-million-charges-to-former-aegean-marine-directors/

US court fines Hyundai $47 million for selling dirty engines

The US Department of Justice published a statement that Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Inc. (HCEA) and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (HHI) agreed to pay a $47 million civil penalty for violating Title II of the Clean Air Act.

The settlement comes after Hyundai sold heavy construction vehicles with diesel engines that were not certified to applicable emission standards.

According to the statement, in the timeframe of 2012-2015, Hyundai pre-purchased engines that were in line with...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-fines-hyundai-47-million-for-selling-dirty-engines/

USCG seaman faces charges of murdering shipmate

On August 28 authorities arrested a US Coast Guard member, and then sent him to San Diego, in which he will be waiting for court-martial proceedings, as he faces charges for allegedly killing a fellow seaman in Alaska.

Namely, military prosecutors have charged the seaman with 11 specifications regarding slaying, including murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, maiming, obstructing justice, providing a false official statement and underage drinking.

Those charges were finalized...

https://safety4sea.com/uscg-seaman-faces-charges-of-murdering-shipmate/

Israeli NGO sues Gibraltar to free Grace 1

An Israeli NGO asked a court in Gibraltar to seize and sell the Iranian-controlled tanker Grace 1 to please a US court judgement. The vessel was seized on July 4 by the UK Royal Marines while passing near Gibraltar.

In 2017, a pro-Israeli non profit Shurat Hadin won a lawsuit against Iran and Syria of complicity in the death of an American child who was killed in an attack by Palestinian political party Hamas in 2014. The US Court decided that Tehran should pay the child’s parents nearly $180...

https://safety4sea.com/israeli-ngo-sues-gibraltar-to-free-grace-1/

Japanese fishing company to pay $1.5 million, 5-year ban from US waters and ports

As the US Department of Justice published, today, the Japanese fishing company was convicted of obstruction of justice and falsifying records to cover up illegal oil and garbage pollution. The owner and operator was ordered to pay a fine of $1.5 million and will be banned from US waters and ports for five years.

Specifically, Fukuichi Gyogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Fukuichi), was convicted and sentenced in the District of Guam for two violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and one count...

https://safety4sea.com/japanese-fishing-company-to-pay-1-5-million-5-year-ban-from-us-waters-and-ports/

Shipping company fined 1.5 million for using magic pipe

The US Department of Justice announced that Portline Bulk International has pleaded guilty in a federal court to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and obstruction. The charges stem from the falsification of the Oil Record Book onboard the M/V Achilleus, a Maltese-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier ship managed by Defendant Portline.

According to the Department of Justice, in the timeframe of April 2017 to August 2018, senior members of the vessel’s engineering team oversaw and...

https://safety4sea.com/shipping-company-fined-1-5-million-for-using-magic-pipe/

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