Danaos pleads guilty in 2001 Long Beach oil incident

Danaos pleads guilty in 2001 Long Beach oil incident    Piraeus, Greece-based Danaos Shipping Co., Ltd. pleaded guilty this week to illegally discharging oil into the Port of Long Beach from one of its ships and to obstructing a Coast Guard investigation into the oil leak, according to a statement from the U.S. Justice Dept.
   A representative of Danaos entered guilty pleas to two counts in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles — a felony charge of obstruction of a Coast Guard investigation and a misdemeanor charge of negligently discharging oil.
   The oil discharge came from the “APL Guatemala,” an 803-foot-long, Greek-flagged ship that was anchored in the Port of Long Beach in July 2001 when the vessel leaked oil from its sea chest. After the “APL Guatemala’s” crewmembers observed an oily sheen near the vessel, the spill was reported to authorities, which prompted the Coast Guard to respond to the vessel and launch an investigation. Soon after, the oil sheen visible on the water had dissipated and the Coast Guard left the area.
   The next day, on the morning of July 3, “APL Guatemala” crew members observed fresh oil leaking from the starboard side of the vessel. Instead of notifying the National Response Center, crewmembers poured detergent into the water in an attempt to disperse the oil and hide the spill, the Justice Department said.
   That same morning, divers hired by Danaos inspected the ship and noticed oil actively flowing from the vessel. One diver who observed oil actively flowing from the vent holes in the “APL Guatemala’s” sea chest informed a Danaos official onboard the ship. The Danaos officials directed the diver to remove the oil from the sea chest and to falsely state on his report that he had only inspected valves, not investigate an oil spill.
   As part of a plea agreement, Danaos has agreed to be sentenced to a term of organizational probation of three years, to implement and fund an environmental management system/compliance plan, to commit no further violations of international agreements that prohibit oil discharges, and to pay full restitution to the victims of the offense, including the Coast Guard and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
   Additionally, Danaos has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $500,000, with $250,000 of that fine to be devoted to community service projects.