Operators of Cargo Ship in SF Bay Spill Fined $10M

By Mike Schuler On February 19, 2010

Chinese operator of ship that caused 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill fined $10M

SAN FRANCISCO February 19, 2010 (AP)

A federal judge has ordered a Hong Kong-based company to pay a $10 million fine after the cargo ship it operated caused a massive oil spill in San Francisco Bay.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston also ordered Fleet Management Inc. to better train its officers in navigation and safety Friday.

The fine was expected after Fleet Management reached a deal with prosecutors in August. The company pleaded guilty to obstruction, making false statements and negligent oil discharge.

The 900-foot Cosco Busan spilled 53,000 gallons of oil in 2007 after sideswiping a San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge tower.

The pilot, John Cota, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges.

Company lawyers declined comment Friday, citing active lawsuits over the spill.

via abc News

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Tagged with: admiralty law • cosco-busan

About The Author

Mike Schuler

After graduating the Catholic University of America in 2005 with a B.S.B.A. in Finance, Mike went on to Tahoe to help with the launch of gCaptain's sister site, UnofficialNetworks.com. In June of 2008 Mike joined gCaptain.com as the first full-time employee in charge of the day-to-day operations of gCaptain.com and Unofficial Networks, LLC.