Shipping company fined $1.5 million for oil record book offense

HOUSTON – A local shipping company has been convicted of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Clipper Shipping A.S. admitted that oily bilge water was discharged from the Motor Tanker Clipper Saturn. As part of the plea, they acknowledged the discharges were omitted from the Oil Record Book, according to prosecutors.

Immediately after the plea, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered the company to pay a $1.5 million fine.

On Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, 2021, prosecutors said the Clipper Saturn was anchored near Lome, Togo. The chief engineer at the time directed oily bilge water to be transferred into the vessel’s gray water tank and then discharged directly overboard under the cover of darkness. In order to accomplish the discharge, a section of piping had to be removed and a hose installed onto the educator system. This arrangement was used to discharge the gray water tank directly overboard. Personnel then re-installed and repainted the piping in the area in order to make it appear that none had been removed. Authorities learned about the discharges during an inspection of the vessel in Houston Oct. 28, 2021.

“Not only did this ship pollute waterways, but they tried to cover it up,” Hamdani said. “To put it simply, Clipper Saturn wanted to get rid of dirty oily water from their ship. Instead of filtering out the hazardous elements, as required, they decided to cut costs and just release the whole contaminated mess into the sea. Unfortunately for them, they got caught when they docked in Houston. The fine imposed today tells them that there is a bigger cost to endangering our citizens and the environment in which they live, and that the SDTX will seek to hold those who harm oceans and waterways accountable.”

As part of the plea agreement, Clipper Shipping A.S. will implement an enhanced environmental compliance plan (ECP) on nine vessels, according to the release. The ECP requires independent auditing and monitoring of the vessels as well as additional conditions to enhance the pollution prevention systems.