Paccship fined for pollution

PACCSHIP, which operates vessels trading in Asia and to the US has been fined US$1.7m for offences relating to improper transfers and discharges of oil-contaminated waste from two of its ships.

Paccship pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and for using falsified records that concealed improper transfers and discharges of oil-contaminated waste. The company was also sentenced to serve a four-year term of probation during which it must implement and follow a stringent environmental compliance program that includes a court-appointed monitor and outside independent auditing of its ships. The company will also hand over a $400,000 community service payment. The government’s investigation began on April 11, 2006, when inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the PAC Antares operated and managed by Paccship, following the ship’s arrival in Morehead City, N.C. The inspection uncovered evidence that crew members aboard the ship had improperly handled and disposed of the ship’s oil-contaminated waste and falsified entries in the ship’s official Oil Record Book to conceal these activities. During the inspection, crew members lied to Coast Guard inspectors in an attempt to obstruct the investigation. In November 2006 similar evidence was found on another ship operated by the same company, the PAC Altair.

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