Two Greek shipping companies, Avin International Ltd. and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises, have been ordered to pay substantial fines after pleading guilty to illegal pollution charges. The offenses involved the discharge of oily bilge water from their tanker, Kriti Ruby, near U.S. ports.
The U.S. Justice Department revealed that the companies falsified records to hide these illegal activities from U.S. Coast Guard officials during inspections at two ports: Jacksonville, Florida, and Newark, New Jersey. As a result, the companies face financial penalties totaling $4.3 million, which includes a $3.3 million fine and a $1 million community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The violations occurred in 2002, with the companies admitting to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). According to court documents, the crew of the Kriti Ruby discharged oily waste into the sea on multiple occasions using the ship’s sewage system. This bypassed the required pollution prevention equipment and went unrecorded in the vessel’s oil record book, a key regulatory requirement. These actions were considered deliberate and harmful to the environment, as they evaded detection by authorities.
Greek Shipping Companies Fined $4.3 Million for Illegal Pollution and Record Falsification
The companies’ attempts to conceal their actions included hiding the equipment used for the illegal discharges in a sealed void space known as a “cofferdam.” Crew members also went to great lengths to ensure that the U.S. Coast Guard could not discover the extent of the violations. Second engineer Sonny Bosito admitted to falsifying the oil record book and directing other crew members to hide the equipment before the Coast Guard inspection. These efforts to deceive the authorities were part of an elaborate scheme to avoid penalties for polluting U.S. waters.
In addition to the financial penalties imposed on the companies, individual members of the crew were held accountable for their roles in the pollution. Konstantinos Atsalis, the former chief engineer of the Kriti Ruby, was sentenced to time served and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to charges of discharging oily waste into the sea and falsifying records. Bosito, the second engineer, also received a sentence of time served for his involvement in the illegal discharges and record falsification.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger emphasized the severity of maritime pollution and the importance of enforcing environmental laws. He noted that while such violations are difficult to detect, the U.S. legal system is committed to holding companies and individuals accountable for harming the environment. The case serves as a reminder of the critical need to comply with environmental regulations and the efforts of law enforcement to protect U.S. waters from illegal pollution.
