Eurobulk must pay $1.125M criminal fine in pollution case
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U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has ordered Athens-headquartered Eurobulk Ltd to pay a criminal fine of $1.125 million after the company pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS)<\/a> and falsification of records.<\/p>\n Eurobulk admitted to violating APPS in April 2023 during a port call by the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Good Heart <\/a><\/em>in the port of Corpus Christi as well as falsification of records during that same port call.<\/p>\n According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a Good Heart<\/em> crewmember presented false records to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to conceal illegal transfers and discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel.<\/p>\n According to court documents and statements made in court, the Good Heart is an ocean-going bulk carrier registered in Liberia that Eurobulk operated. On at least two occasions in April 2023, Charitos ordered lower ranking engine personnel to discharge the contents of the duct keel (a pipe tunnel that begins in the engine room and runs forward under the cargo holds) directly into the sea without using the Oily Water Separator (OWS). The discharges contained oil.<\/p>\n Also in April 2023, Charitos ordered the second engineer to make a fresh water connection to the OWS. By making such a connection, the oil content meter on the OWS was \u201ctricked\u201d so that the OCM could not verify the actual oil content of the discharge from the OWS. All of these discharges should have been recorded in the ORB. However, no entries were made.<\/p>\n In addition to paying the $1.125 million fine, Eurobulk must also serve a four-year-term of probation during which it will be subject to an environmental compliance plan with a monitorship to ensure future compliance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is crucial that we strive to eliminate threats to our waters through holding overseas corporations accountable,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.Ganjei. \u201cOur office will continue to seek justice when foreign vessels fail to comply with the APPS and then seek to cover it up. The environmental harm inflicted and falsification of records merit the sentence imposed today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis outcome directly reflects our dedication to holding those who violate laws designed to prevent pollution of the marine environment accountable,\u201d said Rear Admiral David Barata, commander of the USGC\u2019s Eighth District. \u201cThe Coast Guard and our partners remain resolute in our mission to protect our waters, and we encourage the public to continue reporting any suspicious activities as every report is essential in our ongoing effort to preserve the health of our marine ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n The post Eurobulk must pay $1.125M criminal fine in pollution case<\/a> appeared first on Marine Log<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n