V.Ships Norway A.S. (V.SHIPS) admitted to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. In the hearing held yesterday, the company was fined 2 million dollars. V.Ships admitted that oily bilge water and oily waste were discharged from the M/T Swift Winchester vessel and that these discharges were not recorded in the oil record book.
Between February 2022 and August 2022, a hose was connected between the incinerator waste oil tank and the waste water storage tank on the M/T Swift Winchester vessel. This allowed oily waste to be transferred to the waste water storage tank and then discharged directly into the sea, bypassing the required pollution prevention equipment. A crew member reported this situation to an inspector at V.Ships. The manager investigated the matter and discovered a substance that appeared to be oil in the waste water tank. V.Ships dismissed the chief engineer. In August 2022, the new chief engineer ordered the engine crew to clean the Oil Water Separator (OWS) filter. The engine crew brought the filter to the deck, washed it with a solvent, and the oily waste was discharged directly into the sea through a drain.
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur conducted an inspection, and during this inspection, one of the engine room crew disclosed the discharges and provided photo and video evidence documenting the illegal discharges. The M/T Swift Winchester entered the Port of Baton Rouge, Louisiana on August 25, 2022, and the Port of Port Arthur, Texas on September 7, 2022, with a knowingly falsified oil record book.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) said, “Dumping oil-contaminated waste into the waters of our ports and coasts is against the law and poses an unnecessary health and environmental hazard. The crew went to great lengths to conceal their illegal activities by knowingly keeping false records. We will not tolerate such irresponsible and fraudulent activities.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas stated, “The Gulf of America and Texas ports are wonderful places with magnificent natural beauty. They are also vital to our economy. When a foreign vessel operated by a foreign company discharges polluting waste, it threatens waters vital to the United States and the state of Texas. We will hold accountable those who pollute the Gulf of America.”
7DENIZ
