Chinese Chief Engineer Sentenced in the US for Oily Bilge Water Release

A Chinese chief engineer, Fei Wang, 38, has been sentenced in the US to three months in prison and three years of supervised release over an oily bilge water release last year.

Wang was working on the ASL Singapore, a Chinese-owned bulk carrier, when it was inspected in New Orleans by the US Coast Guard in February last year. During the inspection, it was discovered that Wang had been falsifying logs about oily bilge water discharges over a five-month period.

Further investigation revealed that the crew had been using a portable pump and flexible hose, commonly referred to as a “magic pipe,” to dispose of oily bilge water in violation of regulations.