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U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has ordered Eurobulk Ltd to pay a criminal fine of $1.125 million after pleading guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and falsification of records.
Eurobulk admitted to violating APPS and falsifying records during a port call by the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Good Heart in the port of Corpus Christi in April 2023.
A crewmember of the Good Heart presented false records to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to conceal illegal transfers and discharges of oily bilge water from the vessel.
In an earlier proceeding, the former chief engineer of Good Heart, Christos Charitos, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for failing to record discharges in the vessel’s Oil Record Book (ORB).
According to court documents, Charitos ordered lower-ranking engine personnel to discharge oil-containing contents directly into the sea without using the Oily Water Separator (OWS) on at least two occasions in April 2023. These discharges were not recorded in the ORB as required.
Additionally, Charitos ordered the second engineer to make a fresh water connection to the OWS to deceive the oil content meter, preventing accurate recording of discharges in the ORB.
In addition to the fine, Eurobulk must serve a four-year term of probation and comply with an environmental compliance plan under monitorship to ensure future compliance.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei emphasized the importance of holding overseas corporations accountable for environmental violations, while Rear Admiral David Barata highlighted the Coast Guard’s commitment to protecting marine ecosystems.