Feb. 22

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston has levied a $10 million fine against the company responsible for the Cosco Busan oil spill in the Bay of San Francisco in November 2007.

Fleet Management Ltd. was ordered to pay $10 million for its role in the oil discharge and a subsequent cover-up, the Justice Department said last week. According to a plea agreement reached by the company and the U.S. government, $2 million of the $10 million fine will fund marine environmental projects in the San Francisco Bay.

Fleet Management, a Hong Kong-based ship management firm, pleaded guilty to a criminal violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 as well as felony obstruction of justice and false statement charges for creating false and forged documents after the crash at the direction of shore-based supervisors with an intent to deceive the U.S. Coast Guard.

In addition to the fines against the company, the pilot of the Cosco Busan, Captain John Cota, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, probation and community service for his role in the crash.

The ship crashed into the Bay Bridge, causing a gash 150 feet long by 12 feet high on the port side of the ship, puncturing two of the ship´s fuel tanks and damaging the bridge. Spilling oil resulted in the death of at least 2,000 migratory birds died, including Brown Pelicans, Marbled Murrelets and Western Grebes. The Brown Pelican is a federally endangered species and the Marbled Murrelet is a federally threatened species and an endangered species under California law.

After the crash, the company admitted concealing ship records and forging documents to attempt to sway the investigation into the spill.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com

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