Whistleblower awarded $250,000 for helping U.S. Coast Guard catch polluter
By Richard L. Cassin | Monday, February 2, 2015 at 9:08AM
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.
Whistleblower awarded $250,000 for helping U.S. Coast Guard catch polluter
By Richard L. Cassin | Monday, February 2, 2015 at 9:08AM
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
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
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
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
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
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.