Navios Subsidiary Fined USD 2 Mn for Dumping Oily Waste at Sea

Piraeus-based Navimax Corporation, a subsidiary of Greek shipowner Navios Maritime Holdings Inc., was sentenced to a USD 2 million fine by a U.S. district court for discharging oily waste at sea.

The company was fined for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and obstructing a coast guard investigation. In addition, the federal district court placed Navimax on probation for four years.

The discharge was made from Navimax operated 750-foot long oil tanker, Nave Cielo, in November 2017, in international waters, after the ship left New Orleans en route to Belgium, an investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined.

The 2007-built LR1 tanker, flagged in the Cayman Islands, was bought by Navios Maritime Acquisition from Germany’s Ernst Jacob KG in 2010 for USD 43 million, data from VesselsValue shows. The current value of the 74, 700 dwt ship is USD 14.9 million.

Prior to a formal inspection on December 7, 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel near Delaware City when a crewmember gave the officers a thumb drive containing two videos, depicting a high-volume discharge of dark brown and black oil waste from a five-inch pipe, located 15-feet above water level, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

As informed, during the Coast Guard boarding on December 7, 2017, crew members presented the ship’s Oil Record Book, which did not record this discharge.

“The defendant violated environmental laws that protect our marine environment from harmful pollution,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss.  “The conviction and criminal fine, reinforced by a four-year term of probation, during which the defendant’s fleet of ships will be monitored, ensures that defendant is held accountable.  The message to the shipping industry is clear: environmental crimes at sea will not be tolerated.”  

Video Courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice