MEC&F Expert Engineers : 02/02/15

Monday, February 2, 2015

"Cold Feet" after the 2010 Gulf Disaster: BP drops two Indonesia offshore blocks citing risk concerns

"Cold Feet" after the 2010 Gulf Disaster: BP drops two Indonesia offshore blocks citing risk concerns

 February 1, 2015

 
BP said Friday it will relinquish two exploration blocks in offshore Indonesia after the sites were determined to be high risk investments.

The company said data analysis suggests the West Aru I and West Aru II production sharing contracts, located in Indonesia’s Arafura Sea, are technically “very high risk” and “commercially very challenging.”

“Following the result of the 3D seismic evaluation, earlier this quarter we have made the decision to relinquish both West Aru I and West Aru II blocks,” BP Indonesia head of country Dharmawan Samsu told Reuters.

The company was awarded 100 percent stakes in West Aru I and West Aru II in November 2011.

The licenses are located 310 miles southwest of the BP operated North Arafura production sharing contract in Indonesia’s Maluku province.

The West Aru I PSC covers 3,127 square miles and the West Aru II PSC covers 3,204 square miles.

The two blocks have water depths ranging between 656 feet and 8,202 feet.

 

TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS: ConocoPhillips warns employees to brace for lay offs and pay freeze

TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS: ConocoPhillips warns employees to brace for lay offs and pay freeze

 February 1, 2015

ConocoPhillips told employees Friday to brace for lay offs and pay freezes as the company prepares for prolonged oil price weakness.

The company  hasn’t disclosed how many jobs will be cut or when the lay offs will begin.

Houston-based ConocoPhillips said earlier this month that it will cut 230 jobs in the UK by March.

The head count reductions are part of a broader cost control plan that has already seen ConocoPhillips slash its 2015 capital budget to $11.5 billion, a 20 percent drop from 2014 levels.

The cost cuts will mainly come from onshore drilling and exploration deferrals in the continental United States.

“As with our capital program we will be deferring, delaying or eliminating controllable costs where we can…We’ve informed our workforce that reductions should be expected,” a ConocoPhillips spokesman told Fuel Fix.

ConocoPhillips missed analysts earning targets Thursday after reporting a $39 million loss for the fourth quarter of 2014, down from earnings $2.5 billion during the same period last year.

WHISTLEBLOWER AWARDED $250,000 FOR HELPING U.S. COAST GUARD CATCH POLLUTER

Whistleblower awarded $250,000 for helping U.S. Coast Guard catch polluter

A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
The DOJ's January 30, 2015 release is here.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf

Whistleblower awarded $250,000 for helping U.S. Coast Guard catch polluter

A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.

In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.

Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.

Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.

Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.

The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.

Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.

"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."

The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.

During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.

The DOJ's January 30, 2015 release is here.

- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf

WHISTLEBLOWER AWARDED $250,000 FOR HELPING U.S. COAST GUARD CATCH POLLUTER


A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.



In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.



Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.



Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.



Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.



Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.



The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.



Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.



"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."



The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.



During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.



The DOJ's January 30, 2015 release is here.




A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf
A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf
A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf
A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
The DOJ's January 30, 2015 release is here.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf
A Japanese shipper pleaded guilty Friday for illegal dumping oil residue and bilge water from a huge cargo vessel into the ocean.
In January 2014, a crewman aboard the 600-foot long M/V Selene Leader, then operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD, took video of the offenses and turned the evidence over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship to pay $1.8 million for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. She also placed Hachiuma on probation for three years and required it to develop an environmental compliance program.
Of the $1.8 million penalty, $450,000 will be allotted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay. And $250,000 will go to the whistleblower, who hasn't been named.
Earlier in the case, two crewmen from the M/V Selene Leader pleaded guilty for their role in dumping the oily waste.
Noly Torato Vidad, 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, 63, both of the Philippines, are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, respectively.  Vidad was the chief engineer on board the vessel and Tuale was the first engineer.
The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles between global ports, including the Port of Baltimore. The vessel was operated by Hachiuma Steamship at the time the offenses occurred.
Hachiuma Steamship admitted in its plea agreement that in January 2014, engine room crew members supervised by Vidad and Tuale illegally bypassed pollution control equipment intended to prevent the discharge of oily water into the ocean.
"Before such waste can be discharged into the sea," the DOJ said, "the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard."
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day.
During the inspection, Vidad, the chief engineer, tried to hide the illegal discharges. He falsified the oil record book, destroyed documents, and lied to Coast Guard investigators, the DOJ said. He also directed subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
The DOJ's January 30, 2015 release is here.
- See more at: http://www.fcpablog.com/blog/2015/2/2/whistleblower-awarded-250000-for-helping-us-coast-guard-catc.html#sthash.pxm5oJXW.dpuf

//______________________________________//

Ship Operator Admits To Covering Up The Deliberate Discharge Of Oil And Ordered To Pay $1.8 Million

$450,000 of Penalty to Fund Projects Benefiting Chesapeake Bay and $250,000 Awarded to Crew Member Who Provided Evidence of the Illegal Discharges
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
January 30, 2015


Baltimore, Maryland – The Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD pleaded guilty today to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), arising from the failure to maintain an accurate oil record book concerning the illegal disposal of oil residue and bilge water overboard the cargo vessel M/V Selene Leader. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship today to pay $1.8 million, and placed it on probation for three years during which it is to develop an environmental compliance program.

The plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division John C. Cruden; and Coast Guard Captain Kevin Kiefer, Captain of the Port of Baltimore.

“The Coast Guard is trying to send a message to the maritime industry that environmental compliance is not optional and that deliberate violators will be apprehended. The sentence fits the crime because it includes a requirement that these defendants develop and implement a comprehensive environmental compliance program that will be ensured by outside auditors. Companies that get caught can expect a much closer look,” said Coast Guard Captain Kevin Kiefer, Captain of the Port of Baltimore.
The M/V Selene Leader was operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co, LTD, a Japanese company, between August 2013 and the end of January 2014. The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles to and from ports in the United States, including the Port of Baltimore. Noly Torato Vidad was the chief engineer, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale was the first engineer on board the vessel.

According to the plea agreement, in January 2014, engine room crew members of the vessel under the supervision of Vidad and Tuale transferred oily wastes between oil tanks on board the ship using rubber hoses and then illegally bypassed pollution control equipment and discharged the oily wastes overboard into the ocean. Before such waste can be discharged into the sea, the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day. During the inspection, Mr. Vidad tried to hide the illegal discharges of oil by falsifying the oil record book, destroying documents, lying to Coast Guard investigators, and instructing subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard.
Of the total $1.8 million penalty paid at today’s sentencing, $450,000 was made payable to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefitting the Chesapeake Bay, and
$250,000 was awarded to a whistleblower on board the M/V Selene Leader who alerted the Coast Guard about the illegal activities on board the vessel, provided a video showing the illegal transfers of oily wastes and assisted in the Coast Guard’s investigation of the case.

Noly Torato Vidad, age 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, age 63, both of the Philippines, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, 2015, respectively.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein and Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden praised the Coast Guard Investigative Service for its work in the investigation and thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Kehoe, of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant United States Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.

Ship Operator Admits To Covering Up The Deliberate Discharge Of Oil And Ordered To Pay $1.8 Million

Ship Operator Admits To Covering Up The Deliberate Discharge Of Oil And Ordered To Pay $1.8 Million

$450,000 of Penalty to Fund Projects Benefiting Chesapeake Bay and $250,000 Awarded to Crew Member Who Provided Evidence of the Illegal Discharges
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
January 30, 2015


Baltimore, Maryland – The Hachiuma Steamship Co., LTD pleaded guilty today to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), arising from the failure to maintain an accurate oil record book concerning the illegal disposal of oil residue and bilge water overboard the cargo vessel M/V Selene Leader. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Hachiuma Steamship today to pay $1.8 million, and placed it on probation for three years during which it is to develop an environmental compliance program.

The plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division John C. Cruden; and Coast Guard Captain Kevin Kiefer, Captain of the Port of Baltimore.

“The Coast Guard is trying to send a message to the maritime industry that environmental compliance is not optional and that deliberate violators will be apprehended. The sentence fits the crime because it includes a requirement that these defendants develop and implement a comprehensive environmental compliance program that will be ensured by outside auditors. Companies that get caught can expect a much closer look,” said Coast Guard Captain Kevin Kiefer, Captain of the Port of Baltimore.
The M/V Selene Leader was operated by Hachiuma Steamship Co, LTD, a Japanese company, between August 2013 and the end of January 2014. The M/V Selene Leader transported vehicles to and from ports in the United States, including the Port of Baltimore. Noly Torato Vidad was the chief engineer, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale was the first engineer on board the vessel.


According to the plea agreement, in January 2014, engine room crew members of the vessel under the supervision of Vidad and Tuale transferred oily wastes between oil tanks on board the ship using rubber hoses and then illegally bypassed pollution control equipment and discharged the oily wastes overboard into the ocean. Before such waste can be discharged into the sea, the law requires that it must first pass through an oil water separator, and the operation must be recorded in the vessel’s oil record book for inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The M/V Selene Leader arrived in Baltimore on January 29, 2014 with an oil record book that failed to include entries reflecting the discharge of oily water and oily waste directly into the ocean. The Coast Guard boarded the ship for inspection the next day. During the inspection, Mr. Vidad tried to hide the illegal discharges of oil by falsifying the oil record book, destroying documents, lying to Coast Guard investigators, and instructing subordinate crew members to lie to the Coast Guard. 

Of the total $1.8 million penalty paid at today’s sentencing, $450,000 was made payable to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects benefitting the Chesapeake Bay, and $250,000 was awarded to a whistleblower on board the M/V Selene Leader who alerted the Coast Guard about the illegal activities on board the vessel, provided a video showing the illegal transfers of oily wastes and assisted in the Coast Guard’s investigation of the case.

Noly Torato Vidad, age 47, and Ireneo Tomo Tuale, age 63, both of the Philippines, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Baltimore on February 20 and March 3, 2015, respectively.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein and Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden praised the Coast Guard Investigative Service for its work in the investigation and thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Kehoe, of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant United States Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.

FIERY CRASH BETWEEN A TRUCK CARRYING CHICKEN AND ANOTHER ONE CARRYING BEES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA












 

FIERY CRASH BETWEEN A TRUCK CARRYING CHICKEN AND ANOTHER ONE CARRYING BEES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


February 2, 2015

INDIO, Calif. — A semi-truck carrying frozen chicken collided with a truck carrying thousands of bees in Southern California, creating a fiery crash that cooked the chicken.

The California Highway Patrol says the crash on Interstate 10 near Coachella, Calif., occurred shortly after 7 a.m. Monday leaving hundreds of motorists — including Super Bowl attendees — stuck in traffic for hours.
As the trucks traveled west, one of the drivers tried to pass the slower-moving semi-truck, clipping it in the process, California Highway Patrol Officer Stephanie Hamilton said.

The driver — Phoenix resident Eduardo Garcia, 45 — lost control of his vehicle that was carrying frozen chicken and crashed. His truck was destroyed in the fire, resulting in smoke that was visible across the Coachella Valley.
"It was as bad as it could be. Toxic," said Donald Wesley, a trucker who was stuck in traffic.

Stacks of barbecued chicken piled up in the front of the truck's charred remains. But most of the 25,000 pounds of frozen chicken spilled out of their boxes and were left in a slimy heap along the road.

Photos showed chunks of blackened, highway-roasted chicken.
The crash closed the interstate's westbound lanes as highway patrol officers diverted traffic through the center divider. Road crews removed what was left of the truck and cleaned the scene of debris and a diesel fuel spill.
The second truck, which was transporting the bees, was operable and parked on a side road.

“It was as bad as it could be. Toxic.”
Donald Wesley, a trucker stuck in traffic
"I don't think the bees are causing the problem," Hamilton said of the traffic delay.
Garcia was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., for minor injuries to his face, Hamilton said.
The other truck driver, Roberto Diaz, 60, of Miami, was not injured, but declined to discuss the accident with reporters.
Diaz was hauling thousands of bees and many of them were buzzing around after the rear of the truck was busted open.
A beekeeper arrived to help remove the bees. But dozens of them remained on the freeway and slowly died along the road.

Wesley said drivers who were closest to the collision site kept their windows shut to avoid getting stung by the bees.
All lanes reopened Monday afternoon.
Several motorists who had been in Glendale, Ariz., wore clothing with Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots logos.

"It's sort of adding insult to injury," said Los Angeles resident Stanley Payne, 45, who wore a Seahawks jersey. "I was so upset last night, and the drive home isn't much better."

MAN HIT IN HEAD BY MANHOLE COVER AS EXPLOSION INJURES TWO ALONG PARK SLOPE STREET IN NEW YORK CITY. ROAD SALT FOR THE TREATMENT OF SNOW AND ICE SEEPED INSIDE THE MANHOLES AND CORRODED THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT CREATING SPARKS THAT IN TURN CAUSE SMOKE, FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION.


















 

 

MAN HIT IN HEAD BY MANHOLE COVER AS EXPLOSION INJURES TWO ALONG PARK SLOPE STREET IN NEW YORK CITY.  ROAD SALT FOR THE TREATMENT OF SNOW AND ICE SEEPED INSIDE THE MANHOLES AND CORRODED THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT CREATING SPARKS THAT IN TURN CAUSE SMOKE, FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION. 



 February 2, 2015


The fire and a massive boom were reported around 11:20 a.m. Monday near Fourth St. and Prospect Park West.  The man had his head bandaged by responding firefighters, while a 93-year-old neighbor was cut across her forehead when the explosion shattered a window.

According to FDNY, the manhole at PPW near 5th Street erupted around 11:20 a.m., injuring an unfortunate passerby who was taken to Lutheran Hospital.
A man is “lucky to be alive” after he was smashed in the head by a flying manhole cover Monday morning, sending his startled dog running off after a subterranean explosion near Prospect Park, officials and witnesses said.
An elderly woman inside her apartment and the man walking his dog were the only two injured people reported when  fiery geysers erupted from two manholes on Prospect Park West around 11:20 a.m.

Sal Grillo, 71, was strolling with his black Labrador retriever, Abby, when the 70-pound cover flew 50 feet into the air and clobbered him in the head, an eyewitness named Bill told the Daily News.

"I was shocked because the explosion knocked me backwards," said Bill, who was shoveling his sidewalk when the blast happened. "It was an electric cable under the street and the smoke built up the pressure. I was shocked from that. I told the firefighters the man got hit. He was on the floor. I didn't see his dog."
The frightened pooch  scampered off into the park while Grillo  had his head bandaged by firefighters on scene.

Firefighters were already checking out a smoldering manhole cover at Fourth St. and Prospect Park West in Park Slope when the cover blew a block away at Fifth St.
"It went 50 feet in the air and hit a civilian in the head," said FDNY Battalion Chief Steve Corcoran, who witnessed the blast. "It came without warning," he said, adding he had no time to shout  a warning.
He said Grillo, who lives in the neighborhood, apparently didn't see the iron cover raining down.
"He's lucky to be alive," said Deputy Chief Patrick Clifford.
Clifford said it appeared Grillo was fortunate to have suffered a “glancing blow” from the manhole cover as opposed to a potentially lethal direct hit to the head.
Grillo, dressed in street clothes, was knocked out when Corcoran and his crew got to him. He was semiconscious when an ambulance took him to nearby Lutheran Medical Center.

Reached at the emergency room at Lutheran, a relative told The News Grillo’s injuries were “serious” but he’s expected to recover.
Grillo's dog was found about an hour after the blast and taken to a pharmacy at Church Ave. and Ocean Parkway. Sean Casey, who runs an animal rescue operation in Brooklyn, fetched  Abby up and returned the pooch to Grillo's wife.
"She was shaking and her paws were bleeding," Casey said of the dog.
Casey said he tracked down the Grillo family through microchip implanted in Abby.

The 11:30 a.m. explosion was so powerful it shattered windows along the Prospect Park street, just blocks from Sen. Chuck Schumer's apartment.
Marge Contorno, 93, was injured inside her third-floor apartment at Fifth St. and Prospect Park West when her window was shattered and she was cut by flying glass.

"We've been to a hundred of these today and this is the only one that lifted the lid," Clifford said.
Con Edison workers, along with 65 firefighters and 12 FDNY units, secured the area, cutting off gas and electricity, after the explosion rattled buildings throughout Park Slope.
“I work from home and at first it sounded like construction, it sounded like a crane fell,” said Sona Rai, who lives near the scene. “Then it shook the building. It shook my body from where I’m sitting. It was very sudden and it was very loud and it was just once, then you heard the fire trucks. It was just so loud.”
The boom was heard  nearly half a mile south of the scene, according to a witness.

“There was a huge kaboom, explosion. I was like four blocks down, it was really loud,” Jenna Stern said. “It was loud enough for my friend … to feel it over on 12th St. and 7th Ave.”

A Con Edison spokesman said the fire was electrical and likely sparked by melting snow and street salt seeping into the underground electrical system.
"It's not a good combination," Sidney Alvarez said.

He said vibrations from everyday traffic likely eroded the electrical wire insulation, causing cracks where melting snow and salt could seep in and cause the line to smolder and even flame up. Left unchecked, pressure from the smoke and heat build to the point the vented manhole covers can blow, he said.
“Those manhole covers are extremely heavy and it requires a lot of pressure to make that happen,” Alvarez said.

“I think the big message here is if we can get some assistance from the general public to let us know if they see something or hear something,” said Alvarez, adding that smoke billowing from manhole vents or the sound of wires crackling are indications of problems below.

Anyone wanting to report potential problems can call 1-800-75-CONED