Press Releases
CORPORATION PLEADS GUILTY TO DISCHARGE VIOLATIONS - WILL PAY $7.25 MILLION IN PENALTIES - $500,000 TO LOUISIANA
April 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The NATIONAL NAVIGATION COMPANY (NNC), headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, pled guilty and was sentenced for fifteen counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and making false statements to federal officials, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
The U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana filed a two count Bill of Information on March 27, 2008 charging that on June 21, 2007, upon entry to the Port of New Orleans, NNC presented an Oil Record Book that omitted entries of overboard discharges of oily sludge by use of a bypass hose and making a false statement to the U. S. Coast Guard regarding these discharges. The company entered its guilty plea today in Portland, Oregon where additional charges had been filed.
The case arose out of the investigation in Portland, Oregon of a bulk cargo vessel named the M/V Wadi Al Arish. Coast Guard inspectors found evidence of illegal dumping of waste oil in a November 2007 inspection. Law enforcement agents from the Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency launched a fleet-wide investigation, boarding vessels and interviewing dozens of crew members at multiple ports in the Pacific Northwest and along the Gulf Coast. The investigation uncovered evidence of violations aboard six vessels in NNC’s fleet. Crews on these vessels dumped thousands of gallons of waste oil in oceans around the world and falsified ship records to cover-up the dumping. Today’s guilty pleas in Oregon include pleas to one felony count in the Eastern District of Louisiana for a port call there, two felony counts in the Western District of Washington for port calls in Tacoma, Washington, and twelve felony counts for various port calls in Portland.
The company has agreed to pay a total monetary penalty of $7.25 million, of which $500,000 will be paid for the one count violation charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
As part of the plea agreement NNC has also agreed to four years of probation and to implement a Coast Guard approved Environmental Compliance Plan (ECP). The ECP provides for full company wide , cooperation, accountability and the dismissal of employees actively engaged in ocean dumping violations. The ECP additionally requires NNC to notify the Coast Guard of upcoming port calls and ensure that record keeping aboard United States bound vessels is in compliance with all applicable international standards.
Speaking to today’s developments, U. S. Attorney Jim Letten stated:
“This case showcases the excellent collaboration between personnel from the U. S. Attorney’s Offices in three districts as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and United States Coast Guard for the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf region. The message should be clear that this office, in conjunction with its law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously prosecute companies that pollute our marine environment.”
Warren Amburn, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, added:
“The oceans must be protected and commercial vessels must operate safely and lawfully. Companies that violate the law and pollute our waters will be vigorously prosecuted.”
This case was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Services and the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy Manning Taylor.
(Download Joint Fact Statement 
)
