A Florida dive boat owner/operator, Liza R. Hash, 48, from Inglis, Florida, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by illegally discharging oil into the sea. She admitted to releasing oil-contaminated bilge waste while operating the S/V JULIET, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
The violation was discovered on June 16, 2023, when U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami officers boarded the S/V JULIET and noticed an oil sheen trailing the vessel. During a safety examination, they found oily residue in the bilge and a pump designed to expel the mixture into U.S. waters. Hash acknowledged she had been using this method for the past five years, resulting in the illegal disposal of about 26,000 gallons of oily water.
Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II has scheduled sentencing for May 21. Hash could face up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case also highlighted the collaboration between U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the EPA Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case. More details are available on the United States Attorney’s Office website under case number 25-cr-20007.
