Companies fined $1.25 million in oily water case

Companies fined $1.25 million in oily water case The U.S. Department of Justices said Greek-based shipping companies Chian Spirit Maritime Enterprises Inc. and Venetico Marine each pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Delaware to a felony violation related to the operation of the 'Irene E.M.,' a large bulk carrier.
   The companies were sentenced by the court to pay a total criminal penalty of $1.25 million and to implement a detailed, court-monitored Environmental Compliance Plan.
   The Justice Department said Chian Spirit, the carrier owner, and Venetico, the carrier operator, admitted to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by misleading U.S. Coast Guard investigators during the vessel’s port call to the United States in December 2005.
   According to the plea agreement, on Dec. 5, 2005, the 'Irene' requested entry into the Delaware Bay, en route to Newark, N.J. During the Coast Guard’s routine boarding, officers aboard the vessel provided Coast Guard investigators with a false log book that omitted required entries of overboard oily waste discharges made during recent voyages.
   Further investigation revealed that the vessel’s oil water separator had been inoperable for several months during the previous year. Vessel crew member testified that the ship illegally discharged waste oil into the ocean about four times per week.