Greek tanker operator fined $2.25m in US pollution case

Greece’s Zeus Lines Management has pleaded guilty in Providence, Rhode Island and agreed to pay $2.25m for violations of environmental laws that were carried out by the captain and chief engineer of one of its tankers.

The Panama-flagged 2008-built chemical/product tanker
Galissas discharged 9,544 gallons (36,128 litres) of oily bilge water directly into the ocean and failed to report a hazardous condition in the vessel’s cargo tanks to the US Coast Guard last year, according to court documents.

The violations took place when the tanker was transporting a cargo of diesel from Rotterdam to Rhode Island. The company’s chief engineer, Roberto Cayabyab Penaflor, and Captain Jose Ervin Mahigne Porquez also pleaded guilty to their roles in the crimes and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 8.

The penalty consists of a fine of nearly $1.7m and a community service payment of $562,500. The community service payment will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects to benefit marine and coastal natural resources located in the State of Rhode Island. Zeus will also serve a four-year term of probation, during which any vessels operated by the company and calling on US ports will be required to implement a robust environmental compliance plan.

“In this case, a foreign company decided it could ignore its obligation under American law, putting our waters and coastal communities at risk. Today’s guilty pleas are a reminder that this office will enforce our environmental laws to hold violators – individuals and corporate – accountable and protect our vital natural resources and our citizenry,” said US Attorney Zachary Cunha for the District of Rhode Island.