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Shipping company to pay $2 Introduction

NEWSLETTER
Million dollars fine for dumping
An ocean vessel operating under a foreign
company pleaded guilty to maintaining false

Oily Bilge Water & Garbage in the and incomplete records relating to the
discharge of oily bilge water and garbage on

ocean off the U.S. Coast board their vessel. In its plea, the Shipping
Company has agreed to pay a total
monetary penalty of $2 million.
Technical Newsletter on 24th August 2023
According to court documents, the
company and their personnel admitted that at least four times between June and October 2022 they
dumped over 7,500 gallons of oily bilge water from the vessel into the ocean without first processing the
oily bilge water through required pollution prevention equipment.

Details of the crime against the environment

The company also admitted that these illegal discharges were falsely recorded in the oil record book as
having been made using the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment when the equipment had not been
used. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on
the vessel.

In addition to the illegal discharges of oily bilge water, the company and their personnel admitted that on
at least three or four occasions between June and August 2022, they had burned garbage including paper,
plastics and oily rags in barrels on the Star Maia’s deck. The barrels were then thrown into the ocean. This
garbage burning and barrel disposal was not recorded in the vessel’s garbage record book, as required by
law.

The Sector Commander Captain James W. Spitler of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Sector San Diego stated, “This
prosecution highlights the Justice Department and the U.S. Coast Guard’s continued dedication in
safeguarding our maritime environment against those that seek to deliberately harm our natural resources.

Marine | Inspection | Testing | Consultancy

Illegal dumping of oil, falsification of oil record books and flagrant disregard for air emission requirements
are egregious violations. These guilty pleas should serve as a reminder that the Coast Guard and our
partners at the Justice Department will work tirelessly to hold accountable those that seek to deliberately
harm the maritime environment.”
The shipping company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in San Diego to two felony violations of the Act
to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The plea agreement, subject to acceptance by the court, includes a
$1.5 million fine and a $500,000 community service payment. The community service payment will go to the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects to benefit marine and coastal natural resources
located in or around the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Southern California. The
company will also serve a four-year term of probation during which any vessels operated by the company
and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust environmental compliance plan.

“Illegally dumping oily waste and garbage at sea poses a serious threat to the health and viability of the
marine environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment
and Natural Resources Division. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that those
who violate environmental laws are held accountable for their criminal conduct.” Read more via the Press
Release published by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Document ID: News20230824-03

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NEWSLETTER
Handy links to get more information on VGP Compliance requirements and more.

• As stipulated, the Annual Report/DMA for calendar The EPA’s 2013 VGP website, FAQ and, Central Data
Exchange
• Vessel General Permit (VGP) Implementation Documents

Maritec provides a unique one-stop solution to meet your Discharge Water Compliance requirements
(including Ballast Water, Oily Bilge Water, Scrubber Water & Gray Water) as per VGP 2013. Benefit from:
• Risk Mitigation: We help clients identify Testing Frequency for each vessel according to VGP requirements.
• Budget Control and Reduced Superintendent Workload: We help monitor the voyage to find the most economical
ports for sampling/testing.
• Global Network: We offer testing worldwide for convenient sampling and reporting.
• Technical Support: We offer Audit & Crew Training and due-diligence support for vessel operational records review.
• Error Proof Processes: Ensures all layers of requirements are systematically before submission to EPA.
• Annual Report: EPA annual report preparation in EPA website on behalf of Clients
• Quick-response Times: Supports our customer queries on a real-time basis.

Marine | Inspection | Testing | Consultancy

Document ID: News20230824-03