Engineer pleads guilty in pollution case

Engineer pleads guilty in pollution case    A Greek citizen who oversaw the engineering department on board a Dominica-flagged bulk cargo ship pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in New Orleans for violating environmental laws designed to prevent pollution from ships and making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Justice Department said.
   Georgios Stamou, chief engineer of the Theotokos, pleaded guilty to one felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and one felony violation for making a false statement. Stamou is the third crewmember to plead guilty to crimes related to pollution from Theotokos while on the high seas. The captain and first mate have also pleaded guilty to violations of pollution laws,
   The Justice Department said Stamou did not utilize the oil water separator and directed crewmembers to discharge bilge waste that had accumulated during regular operation of the ship.
   A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Stamou for Nov 5.