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Guilty Plea and Fines for Spill that oiled Loons



If I recall correctly, there may have been some discussion on Carolinabirds 
when these oiled birds (mostly loons) were being found on the beaches.  Back 
on January 22 of this year, the Environmental Protection Agency in DC put out 
the following news release regarding the disposition of legal action in 
federal court in South Carolina against the shipowner.  Note that this 
involved a spill of bunker fuel (that is, fuel for the vessel itself), not 
crude oil being carried as cargo.

"NORWEGIAN CORPORATION PLEADS GUILTY TO SPILLING OIL AT SEA

Billabong II ANS, a Norwegian corporation which owns the Motor Vessel Star 
Evviva, pled guilty on Jan. 10. Early morning of Jan. 14, 1999, the Star 
Evviva experienced a malfunction in its fuel oil transfer system. The 
malfunction caused approximately 23,096 gallons of bunker oil to be pumped on 
deck. The oil then flowed from the deck into the Atlantic Ocean. The spill 
was the direct result of the company's failure to promptly repair an engine 
room malfunction alarm system and failure to station a crewman in the engine 
room to watch for malfunctions while the alarm was out-of-service. Release of 
this oil resulted in the death of at least 183 birds. The former ship's 
captain and former chief engineer were indicted for conspiracy to obstruct 
justice. Both men are currently fugitives. The plea agreement calls for 
Billabong to pay a fine of $200,000, which will go to the Oil Spill Liability 
Trust Fund and to also pay an additional $300,000 to the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation/Savannah-Santee-Pee Dee Conservation Fund. The case was 
investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. 
Attorney's Office in Charleston, S.C. An indictment is merely an accusation 
and all defendants are considered innocent unless or until proven guilty in a 
court of law."

Sincerely,
Ed Welch
Woodbridge, VA 
edwelch17@aol.com