The case involving Turkish owner Prive Shipping deliberately dumping oil from its tanker PS Dream was wrapped up with the company being fined $2m and given four years of probation while the captain of the vessel was sent to prison.
The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).
On the other hand, the captain of the tanker Abdurrahman Korkmaz was sent to prison for eight months for an APPS offence and obstructing the US Coast Guard’s investigation.
The case stems from the report of a crewmember who, on January 11, 2023, contacted the Coast Guard in New Orleans, which was the next port-of-call, and shared a video showing oil being pumped overboard and trailing behind the tanker.
The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.
The $2m fine includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety, and inspection requirements over the next four years.
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