两家希腊航运公司和油轮Kriti Ruby的两名船员因非法向美国水域倾倒含油废物并通过伪造记录来掩盖他们的行为而被判刑。

这些事件发生在2022年对佛罗里达州杰克逊维尔和新泽西州***的港口访问期间。

这两家公司，Avin International Ltd.和Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises承认违反了《防止船舶污染法》（APPS）、伪造记录和妨碍司法公正。

他们被处以450万美元的罚款，其中包括337.5万美元的刑事罚款，以及112.5万美元的社区服务费，作为对国家鱼类和野生动物基金会的支付。两家公司还将在环境合规监督下服刑五年。

2022年5月至9月，Kriti Ruby船员使用该船的污水系统而不是所需的污染防治设备将含油废物排放到海中。这些排放没有按法律要求记录在船上的油类记录簿上。

为了掩盖他们的行为，船员们将用于非法排放的泵和软管隐藏在一个名为“围堰”的隐藏隔间里。

2022年9月，美国海岸警卫队（USCG）在***进行检查时，发现该船的排油监测设备堵塞，记录丢失。

这艘船被扣留了7天，2022年11月在费城的后续检查中发现了更多问题。

Kriti Ruby号的前轮机长康斯坦丁诺斯·阿特萨利斯（Konstantinos Atsalis）承认伪造了油类记录簿，并指示船员绕过污染预防系统，隐藏设备。他被判处有期徒刑，并被罚款5000美元。

大管轮Sonny Bosito也承认向美国海岸警卫队提供了虚假记录，并帮助隐藏了用于非法排放的设备。他被判处有期徒刑。

当局谴责了故意污染和掩盖污染的行为。美国司法部表示，将利润置于环境安全之上是非法的，应该受到惩罚。

美国海岸警卫队的一位发言人强调，在伪造记录和隐藏设备的情况下，很难发现此类犯罪。

Kriti Ruby是一艘于2008年建造并在希腊注册的4.8万载重吨的油轮，目前仍在接受审查。相关企业在五年试用期内必须遵守严格的环境合规计划。

▲Image for representation purposes only

英文原文

Two Greek shipping companies and two crew members of the oil tanker Kriti Ruby were sentenced for illegally dumping oily waste into U.S. waters and covering up their actions by falsifying records.



These incidents occurred during port visits to Jacksonville, Florida, and Newark, New Jersey, in 2022.



The companies, Avin International Ltd. and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), falsifying records, and obstructing justice.



They were fined $4.5 million, including $3.375 million as a criminal fine and $1.125 million as a community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.  Both companies will also serve five years of probation under environmental compliance monitoring.



Between May and September 2022, the Kriti Ruby crew discharged oily waste into the sea using the ship’s sewage system instead of the required pollution prevention equipment.  These discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book, a legal requirement.



To hide their actions, crew members concealed pumps and hoses used for the illegal discharges in a hidden compartment called a “cofferdam.”



During a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) inspection in Newark in September 2022, officers found blockages in the ship’s oil discharge monitoring equipment and missing records.



The ship was detained for seven days, and more issues were found during a follow-up inspection in Philadelphia in November 2022.



The Kriti Ruby’s former chief engineer, Konstantinos Atsalis, admitted to falsifying the oil record book and directing crew members to bypass pollution prevention systems and hide equipment.  He was sentenced to time served and fined $5,000.



Second engineer Sonny Bosito also admitted to presenting false records to the USCG and helping hide equipment used for illegal discharges.  He was sentenced to time served.



Authorities condemned the deliberate pollution and efforts to hide it.  The Justice Department said that prioritising profits over environmental safety is illegal and punishable.



A spokesperson for the USCG highlighted the difficulty of detecting such crimes when records are falsified and equipment is hidden.



The Kriti Ruby, a 48,000 dwt oil tanker built in 2008 and registered in Greece, remains under scrutiny.  The companies involved must follow strict environmental compliance plans during their five-year probation period.

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