Two companies responsible for the M/V ASL Singapore bulk carrier, ASL Singapore Shipping Limited and Jia Feng Shipping (Fuzhou) Limited, have admitted to environmental violations and obstruction of justice, relating to fraudulent records intended to cover up illegal dumping of oily bilge water. According to a U.S. Department of Justice release, both companies participated in falsifying the vessel's Oil Record Book, a critical document required by maritime law to track oily wastes.
During an appearance before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, the companies entered their guilty pleas and received a sentence which includes a significant fine of $1.85 million in addition to being prohibited from operating within U.S. waters; Fei Wang, the ship's Chief Engineer and a Chinese national, was already convicted and sentenced, a fact that underscores the gravity of the case and the sentiment that those at helm are as accountable as the enterprises they serve. This outcome followed an incriminating discovery by the U.S. Coast Guard during a routine inspection where it was found that, in lieu of legally mandated pollution control equipment, a covert setup involving a 'magic pipe' was actively being used to discharge oily waste straight into the sea – a clear breach of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, known as MARPOL.
The deceitful operation, which took place since at least June 2023, came to light when crew members knowingly presented the Oil Record Books to the Coast Guard, which hid their non-compliance with international treaties on oil pollution from ships. The companies, one based in The Republic of the Marshall Islands and the other in China, both faced two felony charges: one under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and another for obstruction of justice, "Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. Calogero and G. Dall Kammer of the General Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case" the Justice Department reported.
The investigation that ensnared these companies was a combined effort, with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the EPA Criminal Investigations Division collaborating, and U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans providing additional assistance.
