2 Greek Shipping Companies Fined $4.5 Million For Dumping Oily Waste In U.S. Waters

Two Greek shipping companies and two crew members of the oil tanker Kriti Ruby were sentenced for illegally dumping oily waste into U.S. waters and covering up their actions by falsifying records.

These incidents occurred during port visits to Jacksonville, Florida, and Newark, New Jersey, in 2022.

The companies, Avin International Ltd. and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), falsifying records, and obstructing justice.

They were fined $4.5 million, including $3.375 million as a criminal fine and $1.125 million as a community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Both companies will also serve five years of probation under environmental compliance monitoring.

Between May and September 2022, the Kriti Ruby crew discharged oily waste into the sea using the ship’s sewage system instead of the required pollution prevention equipment. These discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book, a legal requirement.

To hide their actions, crew members concealed pumps and hoses used for the illegal discharges in a hidden compartment called a “cofferdam.”

During a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) inspection in Newark in September 2022, officers found blockages in the ship’s oil discharge monitoring equipment and missing records.

The ship was detained for seven days, and more issues were found during a follow-up inspection in Philadelphia in November 2022.

The Kriti Ruby’s former chief engineer, Konstantinos Atsalis, admitted to falsifying the oil record book and directing crew members to bypass pollution prevention systems and hide equipment. He was sentenced to time served and fined $5,000.

Second engineer Sonny Bosito also admitted to presenting false records to the USCG and helping hide equipment used for illegal discharges. He was sentenced to time served.

Authorities condemned the deliberate pollution and efforts to hide it. The Justice Department said that prioritising profits over environmental safety is illegal and punishable.

A spokesperson for the USCG highlighted the difficulty of detecting such crimes when records are falsified and equipment is hidden.

The Kriti Ruby, a 48,000 dwt oil tanker built in 2008 and registered in Greece, remains under scrutiny. The companies involved must follow strict environmental compliance plans during their five-year probation period.

Reference: US department of justice

Source: Maritime Shipping News