Singapore-based ODFJELL and one of its senior crew members pleaded guilty a few days ago in federal court in Hartford, Conn., for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).
Singapore Shipping Company Pleads Guilty for Illegal Discharge of Oily Waste
March 7, 2014 by 1 Comment
Reasons Illegal Discharges from Ships Occur
December 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Whether an illegal discharge is due to negligence (such as poor maintenance of equipment) or is deliberate (even actively promoted by the company), it is usually the result of action/inaction both on the part of ship operators, and of ship master and crew. On some occasions, violations of pollution regulations may result from lack of awareness by operators and crew. Deliberate illegal discharges occur due to a conjunction of two factors: 1) there are economic advantages for ship operators; 2) there is a low risk of being caught and penalised. Motivations for the individual crew members are slightly different; these are less likely to include cost savings, but may be based on an intention to follow perceived instructions (often implied rather than explicit) and/or fear of losing a job. The following information are an extract from EMSA’s “Addressing Illegal Discharges in the Marine Environment” publication.
How Oily Waste is Generated Onboard Vessels
November 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This post is an extract from EMSA’s publication “Addressing Illegal Discharges in the Marine Environment” focusing on the various ways oily waste are being produced onboard vessels. The volume of oily waste generated and/or stored on board a vessel depends on various factors. These include, for example type, age and size of vessel; type and age of equipment related to oil separation and storage; maintenance of vessel and equipment and external factors such as availability of Port Reception Facilities.
USCG And OWS Violations
November 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The large, green generators in the engine room of a 292-foot ship moored to a pier in San Francisco grind to life, filling the enclosed space with machine-produced roar. Coast Guard inspectors take a few slow laps around the room looking for malfunctions, leaks, fire risks and safety hazards.
Avoiding the APPS Magic Pipe Trap
November 14, 2012 by 1 Comment
During the 3rd annual SAFETY4SEA forum held in Athens in October 2012, George A.Gaitas, Attorney at Law in Houston Texas Chalos & Co. gave a very interesting speech on how a shipping company may get caught in a whistleblower situation and end up paying heavy fines and/or other penalties without ever committing an actual oil pollution. More than a decade has passed since the United States Department of Justice launched a vigorous campaign to enforce the observance of MARPOL 73/78 Annex I regulations by foreign ships calling at U.S. ports. Some ten years later, one would think that ship owners and ship managers would have caught-on, and found ways to effectively deal with it. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out that way.
Illegal Dumping of Oil From Ships
November 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Oil in Our Waters is a 22-minute documentary about the illegal dumping of oil from ships. This film explores the extent of the problem, the impact of oil on the marine environment, the creation of MARPOL, the rewards for whistleblowers, and the penalties faced by polluters caught in the United States.
PART 1/3
PART 2/3
PART 3/3
Source: Marine Defenders
German Shipping Companies Guilty for Illegal Dumping of Oil at Sea
November 9, 2012 by 5 Comments
Two German shipping companies pleaded guilty in early November in federal court in Houston to criminal charges that they concealed the illegal dumping of oil at sea from U.S. Coast Guard inspectors. The operator and owner of the commercial cargo vessel MV Susan K, will pay a $1.2 million dollar criminal penalty, $200,000 of which will go to the National Marine Sanctuaries Fund as a community service payment for projects aimed at preserving and restoring the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary located off the Texas coast. As a condition of probation, all vessels owned or operated by the defendants will be prohibited from entering U.S. ports or waters for five years.
EMSA Study on the Delivery of Ship Waste and Cargo Residues in EU Ports
October 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
On last September EMSA released a report on the Delivery of Ship-generated Waste and Cargo Residues to Port Reception Facilities in EU Ports. The objectives of the study were to provide EMSA with waste volume fact sheets for identified ports, todescribe the applied waste handling system in mentioned ports and to analyse factors influencing the ship-waste delivery behaviour of ships.
Shipping Company Fined for OWS Discharges
September 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
A Greek shipping company must pay the US federal government $300,000 after admitting that one of its vessels discharged waste oil into the Atlantic Ocean, U.S. Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux Jr. announced Wednesday in Baton Rouge. “The oceans must be protected from shipping companies that look to cut corners by dumping waste improperly,” said Ivan Vikin, special agent-in-charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Louisiana.
Officer of the Watch 