No A009/05
For publication August 26, 2005
$70,000 FINE FOR MARINE POLLUTER
ST. JOHN'S, NL – A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has
ordered the Motor Vessel (MV) Project Europa to pay a $70,000 penalty for
violations of the Canada Shipping Act associated with the unlawful discharge of
an oily substance into Canadian waters.
On August 23, 2003, a Government of Canada marine pollution surveillance
flight detected a slick in the wake of MV Project Europa, a cargo ship
registered in the Netherlands and owned by Biglift Goedkoop B.V.of Amsterdam. At
the time, the vessel was approximately 65 miles south of Cape Race, NL and was
traveling from Spain towards Montreal.
Transport Canada Marine Safety in St. John's, NL made arrangements for the
ship to be boarded at Trois-Rivières, Québec. An on-board investigation was
carried out on August 25, 2003 while the ship was en route between
Trois-Rivières and Montreal. A further investigation was carried out upon the
ship's arrival in the port of Montreal on the 26th and 27th of August.
The Transport Canada Marine Safety investigation determined that the slick
contained approximately 40 litres of an oily substance and that the oil
originated from the MV Project Europa. The investigation also concluded that, at
the time of the sighting, the ship's engineers were working on the oily water
separator and that, in the course of that work, they discharged water containing
oil overboard. As a result, Transport Canada Marine Safety laid charges against
the vessel under the Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations of the Canada Shipping Act.
The vessel pleaded guilty to the illegal discharge in provincial court in St.
John's, NL on August 26, 2005 and was subsequently fined $70,000.
Transport Canada is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible
commercial marine operations and to prosecuting marine polluters whenever there
is sufficient evidence. Penalties imposed by the courts act as a general
deterrent for any would-be polluter.
The department continues to work in close cooperation with other federal
agencies, such as Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the Department of
National Defence and Justice Canada, as well as with other national and
international partners in order to eliminate ship source marine pollution in
Canadian waters.
More information on the Government of Canada's efforts to eliminate ship
source marine pollution can be found at
www.marinepollution.gc.ca.
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Contact: |
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Tracey Hennessey
Transport Canada Communications
(709) 772-6197 |
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