July 12
A shipping company that deliberately discharged oily wastewater in
U.S. waters will pay a $4 million fine, the U.S. government announced.
Charges of illegal discharges were made against the Irika Shipping
Company of Greece. The company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in
Maryland, admitting to making illegal discharges and concealing the
discharges from the cargo ship M/V Iorana. The Iorana made port calls in
Baltimore, Tacoma, Wash., and New Orleans, government officials said.
The ship´s officers used a bypass hose to get around on-board pollution
control equipment and dumped 6,000 gallons of oil sludge and bilge waste
and plastic bags filled with oil-soaked rags, outside Baltimore in
December, 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Crew
members were told to lie to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about waste
water treatment and dumping.
The investigation began in January 2010 when a crew member passed a note
to the Customs and Border Protection inspector in Baltimore.
Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at
330-865-6166 or
asmith-teutsch@crain.com
w w w . w a s t e r e c y c l i n g n e w s . c o m
copyright 2010 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved.