Ionian Management Fined $250,000 Over US ECA Violations
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The conviction of Ionian Management, a NY-based firm that commercially tackles three vessels, concludes a multiyear investigation and prosecution of firms and individuals involved with the use of non-compliant and high-sulfur fuel on the M/T Ocean Princess.
Ionian Management was reportedly sentenced in the District of the Virgin Islands on 1 November on pleading guilty to violating the act to prevent pollution from ships.
The firm was fined about 250,000 and then placed on probation that lasted one year.
Vessels operating within the US Caribbean Emissions Control Area (ECA) should not deploy bunker fuel that crosses 0.10% sulfur content. The charge levied against Ionian Management was that between 3 January 2017 and 10 July 2018, the Ocean Princess operated in the ECA using fuel that had excessive sulfur content on 26 occasions.
The fuel was petroleum cargo that had reportedly been transferred to the fuel tanks as authorized by the Ionian Management. Once it was approved, the crew members of the Ocean Princess passed on the higher-sulfur fuel into the bunker tanks from the cargo tanks and used it to fuel the vessel.
The US Coast Guard inspectors reportedly boarded the Ocean Princess on 10 July 2018 to investigate.
During the examination, the US Coast Guard discovered that the vessel uses fuel with excessive sulfur content.
Lily Shipping Ltd. owned the Ocean Princess, run by Ionian Shipping and Trading. Both of these are Greece-domiciled firms. The two firms earlier pleaded guilty to some felony violations that revolved around using non-compliant fuels and falsifying records. They were reportedly sentenced to pay a fine of $3 million, serve a three-year probation period, and execute an Environmental Compliance Plan.
References: Virgin Islands Daily News, Bunkerspot, The United States Department Of Justice, Manifold Times
Ionian Management Fined $250,000 Over US ECA Violations appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide
Source: Maritime Shipping News