V.Ships Norway Hit With $2M Pollution Fine

BATON ROUGE, LA – V.Ships Norway A.S. (V.SHIPS) is $2 million poorer today after pleading guilty to a blatant violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. The company admitted to deliberately dumping oily bilge water and waste from the Motor Tanker Swift Winchester (M/T Swift Winchester) and then covering their tracks by falsifying official logs.

The scheme, uncovered by U.S. Coast Guard investigators, involved a direct bypass of pollution prevention equipment. Between February and August 2022, crew members rigged a hose to transfer oily waste from the incinerator waste oil tank to the sewage holding tank aboard the M/T Swift Winchester, then discharged it directly into the Gulf of America. A whistleblower – a low-ranking engine crewmember – alerted a V.Ships superintendent, who found evidence of oil in the sewage tank. While the company *did* fire the Chief Engineer, the illegal activity continued.

The brazen disregard for environmental regulations didn’t stop there. In August 2022, a new Chief Engineer ordered crew to clean the Oil Water Separator (OWS) filter – and then simply hosed the oily waste overboard with a degreaser. The M/T Swift Winchester subsequently docked in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on August 25, 2022, and Port Arthur, Texas on September 7, 2022, with a knowingly falsified Oil Record Book, attempting to hide the pollution from authorities.

“Dumping oil-contaminated waste into the waters around our ports and coasts violates the law and poses an unnecessary health and environmental hazard,” fumed Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The crew took pains to hide their illegal activity by knowingly keeping inaccurate records. We will not turn a blind eye to this kind of irresponsible and fraudulent activity.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas echoed the sentiment, stating, “The Gulf of America and the Texas ports are amazing places with great natural beauty. They are also vital to our economy. When a foreign ship operated by a foreign company discharges polluting wastes, it threatens waters that are vital to the United States and the state of Texas. We will hold those responsible for polluting the Gulf of America accountable.” Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis for the Middle District of Louisiana added that the prosecution underscores a commitment to enforcing maritime pollution laws and protecting marine life.

The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service spearheaded the investigation, which was praised by Capt. Jennifer Andrew, Commanding Officer of the unit, for its reliance on specialized training and interagency cooperation. The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson and Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Batte for the Eastern District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward War.

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