Pollution

Citation

(2006), "Pollution", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315eac.002

Pollution

Pollution

27 July 2005VICUNA (Chile)

Ultragas, a subsidiary of Ultramar of Chile, is to appeal against a $21.3m penalty levelled by two Brazilian environmental authorities following the fatal explosion on board chemical/oil carrier Vicuna last year. Four people died in the blast, which blew the vessel in two as it was unloading 14,000 tonnes of methanol at the private berth of Cattalini Terminals Maritimos in Paranagua on 15 November. The cash demand relates solely to the environmental impact of the gas and bunker spill. An official report into the cause of the incident is still being compiled, but leading Chilean business newspaper Diario Financiero yesterday reported that the company considered the demand unjust and disproportionate. Chief Executive Michael Schroder stressed that Ultragas had already spent $15m as a result of the incident. The money went towards addressing environmental concerns, contracts with specialist companies, clean-up manpower and aid to affected fishing communities. Although he conceded the vessel was responsible for contamination, he argued: “The environmental damage was due, in large part, to the absence of contingency plans in the port of Paranagua to deal with this type of accident”. He insisted that the vessel was in excellent technical condition and there were no operational anomalies. The vessel is understood to have carried all the relevant certifications to carry gas. After the accident, Ultragas had taken preventative measures to tighten up controls while vessels were alongside. Mr Schroder told the newspaper that the incident would not cause a big loss to the company because it would largely be covered by insurance. The vessel is entered with the Britannia P&I club. Directors there were yesterday unavailable for comment. Finally, Mr Schroder added that the company was planning to build a replacement for the lost vessel. He was yesterday in a meeting and, therefore, not available for comment. The Brazilian National Environmental Authority, known as Ibama from its Portuguese acronym, and its provincial counterpart, IAP, have taken a tough line against all parties involved in the incident. Terminal owner Catallini has been handed a hefty fine, while the port authority has had to pay a lesser penalty after being judged to have been slow in applying its emergency plan to contain the loss of gas. Ultragas is a member of the London-based International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, which yesterday confirmed that it had provided technical advice to the cleanup efforts. Local media outlets have also reported that legal action is being taken by the families of the people that died in the accident.

22 July 2005Fair Voyager (Liberia)

The Greek operator and Liberian owner of chemical/oil carrier Fair Voyager (28,010 gt, built 1985) have been fined $1.5 million, after pleading guilty to conspiracy, obstructing justice, perjury and making false statements to US investigators. The captain and three crewmembers are awaiting sentence on various criminal charges. In the Southern District Court of New York, Judge Loretta Preska fined the Piraeus-based Fairdeal Group Management and Fair Voyager Maritime of Liberia $1.05 million, ordered a donation of £450,000 be made to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and placed the companies on four years probation. The crew of the tanker, under the direction of the chief engineer, dumped as much as 60 tonnes of sludge and about 40 tonnes of oil-contaminated bilge into international waters between 21 April and 20 November, last year. The charges stem from the cover-up conspiracy that followed. In addition, the captain admitted he lied to the US Coastguard on 24 November 2004, when he claimed he had performed a routine test to gauge explosive vapours. The US Coastguard determined there were sufficient vapours “to cause the ship to explode” and ordered the ship to leave New York Harbour.