The U.S. Department of Justice has fined a Mexican ship manager nearly two million dollars for MARPOL violations. It is the latest in a long series of hefty penalties for operators whose crews save on disposal costs by pumping oily bilge waste over the side.
On August 25, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard inspectors met the bulker Suhar at the port of Pensacola. Suhar was hauling cement under the management of Gremex Shipping S.A., which had operated the ship since 2021.
On boarding, the Coast Guard found evidence that the crew had discharged untreated bilge water into the sea, bypassing their oily water separator, then falsifying the oil record book. Specifically, the Coast Guard alleged that “the ORB failed to include entries of all discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel.” Illegal untreated discharges are typically used to avoid the cost of shoreside disposal of oily waste, saving the operator money and improving the bottom line; these violations are grounds for a detention or administrative proceeding in most jurisdictions, but are prosecuted as a criminal offense in the United States.
Gremex waived its right to a grand jury indictment, and it pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of failing to maintain an accurate oil record book. The firm agreed to a fine of $1.75 million, payable over three years. It will also pay for an environmental compliance plan to cover one vessel, the Grit Cement IV.
No individual crewmembers or executives were charged under the plea agreement.
