BALTIMORE – Capt. Mark P. O’Malley, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, gave his remarks during a press conference held Tuesday, shortly after U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Irika Shipping S.A., to pay $4 million in penalties for deliberately discharging oil and waste into the ocean.
The motor vessel Iorana, A Greek flagged cargo ship responsible for the illegal discharge, was inspected Jan. 8, by Coast Guard investigators after a whistleblower had told authorities that the ship had illegally discarded oil and waste during its voyage.
During the inspection, the Coast Guard crew discovered that the motor vessel Iorana used a “magic hose” to bypass an oily water separator in order to discharge what was later revealed to be approximately 6,000 gallons of oil contaminated sludge and bilge waste.
The Coast Guard’s partnership with local, state and federal agencies played a vital role in the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said O’Malley. “Let this serve as a wake-up call to other companies, or groups that are illegally dumping in our waters. The cost of the penalties and environmental damages far outweigh the cost of compliance.”