Bulk carrier officers charged with pollution violations

Bulk carrier officers charged with pollution violations    A grand jury in Newark, N.J., has returned a three-count indictment charging the chief engineer and second engineer of a bulk carrier vessel, the “Sun New,” with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and a violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships in connection with the use of two bypass hoses used to discharge sludge and oil contaminated bilge waste overboard into the ocean.
   According to the indictment, the defendants used two hoses on a trip from Korea to Camden, N.J., from Nov. 20 to Dec. 31, 2005, to circumvent required pollution prevention equipment and dump sludge and oily bilge waste into the ocean. The bypass equipment was discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard during an inspection of the vessel in Camden on Jan. 3.
   If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison on each the conspiracy and obstruction charges, and for violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.