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Shipping company and Chief fined for violating APPS and MARPOL regulations

The Greek shipping company Eurobulk Ltd. has pleaded guilty to having violated the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and having falsified records to hide the facts, after the 'Good Heart' was found to have discharged oily bilge water on at least two occasions directly into the sea, when it was inspected by US Coast Guard officials on April 29, 2023, in the port of Corpus Christi. The chief engineer of the vessel had also directed the crew to flush the oil-water separator with fresh water, effectively deceiving the meter on the OWS so that it showed that the oil content was within the limits. In addition, the Oil Record Book (ORB) was not updated with the discharges, which is a legal requirement for all ships under the APPS and MARPOL regulations. Eurobulk has been ordered to pay a criminal fine of $1.125 million and to serve a four-year probation, where the company will have to adhere to an environmental compliance plan. The chief engineer of the bulk carrier also pleaded guilty and was sentenced for failing to record the in ORB. He has been ordered to pay a $2000 fine.