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EPA fines two ships over Vessel General Permit violations

On Nov 15, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has assessed penalties totaling $81,474 against the container ship 'MSC Aurora' and the 'Western Durban' over inspection, monitoring, and reporting violations in California and Louisiana. Both violated EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP) issued under the Clean Water Act (CWA). From Nov 2016 to July 2021, the 'MSC Aurora' failed to conduct required routine visual inspections for 11 voyages to the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland. She also failed to submit timely annual reports to EPA for 2016 – 2019. For these multiple inspection and reporting violations, Mediterranean Shipping Company, SRL has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $66,474 under the settlement. In Aug 2017, the 'Western Durban' failed to perform monthly functionality monitoring and an annual calibration of the ballast water treatment system before discharging ballast water at the Port of New Orleans. The ship also failed to conduct required biological monitoring after the discharge. EPA assessed penalties totaling $15,000 to the Tokyo-based Victoria Ship Management company. The violations were discovered in Feb 2020, as part of EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard on-site visual inspections of the 'MSC Aurora' and the 'Western Durban' at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The EPA's settlement with MSC resolves CWA violations onboard the 'MSC Aurora' and is subject to a 30-day public comment period prior to final approval. The public comment period for the 'Western Durban' has ended.