CASILDA Shipping of Malta, owner of the bulker Rio Gold, has been fined $750,000 for the vessel’s illegal dumping of before docking at Oakland in May.
The company pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to falsify waste disposal records. A court found that a ‘magic pipe’ had been used to bypass the pollution control system.
The 39,695dwt ship’s operator at the time, Genesis Seatrading, has been given three years’ probation and ordered to follow a strict environmental compliance programme.
The chief engineer, Pantelis Thomas of Greece, was fined $5,000 and put on three years’ probation. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy and failing to maintain an accurate oil record book.
Under a plea agreement, $250,000 of the fine will be used for coastal restoration. Crew members blew the whistle on the dumping.
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