US Justice Department statement on Cosco Busan Pilot

Ship Pilot Charged in San Francisco Bay Oil Spill Case

WASHINGTON—John Joseph Cota, the pilot of the Cosco Busan, the 65,131-ton container ship that collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge resulting in the discharge of approximately 58,000 gallons of oil, was charged today with violations of the Clean Water Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, announced Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division and Joseph P. Russoniello, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.

According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Cota was licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of California as a Bar Pilot. He was a member of the San Francisco Bar Pilots and had been employed in the San Francisco Bay since 1981. Pilots are licensed professionals who are responsible for navigating ships through challenging waters. In California, large ocean-going vessels are required to be piloted when entering or leaving port.

The criminal information alleges that on Nov. 7, 2007, Cota negligently caused the discharge of approximately 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil from the Cosco Busan in violation of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. According to the charges, while piloting the ship from port in heavy fog, he failed to pilot a collision free course and failed to adequately review the proposed course with the Captain and crew on official navigational charts. Further, he failed to use the ship’s radar as he approached the Bay Bridge, use positional fixes or verify the ship’s position using official aids of navigation, throughout the voyage. According to the criminal information, these failures led to the Cosco Busan striking the bridge and spilling the oil.

As a result of the discharge of heavy fuel oil from the Cosco Busan, approximately 2,000 birds died, including Brown Pelicans, Marbled Murrelets and Western Grebes. The Brown Pelican is a federally endangered species and the Marbled Murrelet is a federally threatened species and an endangered species under California law.

Cota is charged with one count of violating the CWA and one count of violating the MBTA. The maximum penalty for a misdemeanor violation of the CWA is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, and the maximum penalty for a misdemeanor violation of the MBTA is 6 months in prison and a $15,000 fine. A criminal information is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game, Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Geis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, and David Joyce, Trial Attorney with the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division with the assistance of Ana Guerra.

Pursuant to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, crime victims are afforded certain statutory rights including the opportunity to attend all public hearings and provide input to the prosecution. Those adversely impacted by the oil spill are encouraged to visit
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/can/community/Notifications/index.html
and the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

Maritime Safety News Today – 11th March 2008

Three dead, one missing in SW China boat crash
Xinhua – China
The accident happened on the Wu River in Changshou District at 8 pm when a passenger ship from the suburban Fuling District crashed with the cargo ship 

Boat slams bridge
Sun.Star – Philippines
The head of the Mandaue City 701st Maritime Station, Chief Insp. Greg Togonon, said the accident was recorded in their blotter.

Late-winter storm in northwest of France beaches a Dutch cargo …
Web in France Magazine – Miami,USA
The Dutch cargo liner was sailing empty, and so luckily the accident caused no pollution, according to the French maritime prefecture of the Atlantic.

USS John S. McCain Rescues ROK Fishing Vessel Crew Members

Posted 03/11/08 at 10:22 AM

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) assisted in the rescue of 11 crew members of a Republic of Korea (ROK) fishing vessel off the Korean Peninsula, March

Crew kin send SOS to Sonia
Daily News & Analysis – Mumbai,India
The families of missing crew of MV Rezzak, on Monday, demanded a CBI inquiry into the ship’s disappearance. They have written a letter to Congress president 

Crewing becoming ever more serious issue says broker
Offshore Shipping Online – Ledbury,England,UK
“With the Bourbon Dolphin report due out at the beginning of April, there is no doubt that safety offshore will be receiving close scrutiny over the coming

Marine pilots, tugs to rescue when ship breaks free
Mackay Daily Mercury – Australia
Maritime Safety Queensland Pilotage Services, Mackay, has been commended for its handling of the emergency. Strong northerly winds snapped mooring lines on 

EMSA TO EXPAND SPILL RESPONSE FLEET
Maritime Global Net – Warren,RI,USA
THE European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is launching a new procurement procedure for stand-by oil spill recovery vessels in the Black Sea and North Sea 

Ship owners must pay – lawsuit
Legalbrief (subscription) – Durban,South Africa
… was part of an early settlement reached in a lawsuit his office filed against Regal Stone Ltd. of Hong Kong, which owns the Cosco Busan container ship. 

Start of Napoli grounding inquiry
Dorset Echo – England,UK
AN INQUIRY into the grounding of the MSC Napoli off the world heritage coast was launched yesterday at Branscombe, near where the storm-damaged ship was

Global Warming to Affect Transport
The Associated Press –
The resulting lower water levels would reduce vessel shipping capacity, seriously impairing freight movements in the region, such as occurred during the .

Maritime Safety News Today – 7th March 2008

Vietnam tanker sinks, 14 missing
BBC News – UK
… maritime authorities have said. One seaman was rescued at the time of the accident on Sunday, but most of the crew were trapped in the hull,One dead, three missing in ship collision: Japan
AFP –
TOKYO (AFP) — Three vessels collided Wednesday in a strait in western Japan killing one Filipino crew member and leaving three others missing when their

16 dead in Albanian boat tragedy
B92 – Serbia
The authorities think the ship capsized and sank because it was overloaded. Four passengers survived the accident, said Katragini. .

Officials Provide Update On Grounded Oil Tanker
The Bahama Journal – Nassau,Bahamas
By Sasha L. Lightbourne The government will not incur any costs as a result of the grounding of an oil tanker off the west coast of New Providence,

Oil tanker towed to dock after SOS call
Middle East North Africa Financial Network – Amman,Jordan
The ship, which reported engine failure about 200 kilometers from the port, arrived back at the port yesterday, officials told Arab News.

Ill-fated trawler lodged on reef
Northern Advocate – Whangarei,New Zealand
“It’s still too early to determine what the cause of the grounding was, and we’ll be making no further comment on the incident until inquiries are complete

Wednesday, March 5th 2008
Virgin Islands Daily News – U.S. Virgin Islands
The National Park Service expects to complete its investigation into the grounding and coral damage during the next two months, VI National Park chief

Relations of victims of ill-fated passenger boat besiege Yenagoa …
Vanguard – Apapa,Lagos,Nigeria
The maritime union leader Comrade Sylvanus Egele confirmed the incident , but said only five bodies have been discovered, that is, two ladies,

Fishing boat saved from sinking off Hawke’s Bay coast
All About Hawke’s Bay – Napier,Hawke’s Bay,New Zealand
The skipper of the Thelma G radioed for assistance just after noon saying the vessel was taking on water. The boat was about 15km south west from Portland

Crane crash terminal still out of action
East Anglian Daily Times – Ipswich,England,UK
Cranes on board then smashed into one of the ship-to-shore cranes at Landguard, which then toppled into the next crane, bringing them both smashing down.

Islands mourn loss of chief
Queen Charlotte Islands Observer – Queen Charlotte,British Columbia,Canada
Sandspit Coast Guard reported a vessel sinking in the QC harbour, after hearing radio traffic to that effect, according to Mike Stacey, maritime search and

USCG – Guidance re Liftboats

Posted 03/05/08 at 10:21 AM

The US Coast Guard posted guidance on the inspection, repair, and maintenance of liftboats. As the guidance points out, for many purposes, liftboats are treated by the Coast Guard like conventional hulled offshore supply vessels (OSVs).

Donjon Marine Tows Disabled LNG Carrier

Posted 03/06/08 at 10:29 AM

Donjon Marine Co., Inc. provided the 7000hp salvage tug Atlantic Salvor to assist the (LNG) tanker Catalunya Spirit, which lost propulsion and became disabled and adrift East of Cape Cod in February. On February 12, 2008, Donjon Marine, Co…

Start of Napoli grounding inquiry
Dorset Echo – England,UK
The inquiry comes before work begins in April to remove the final section of the vessel, the stern, from the sea off Sidmouth. The grounding of the

US overturns shipper haz liability

NEW YORK 6 March – OCEAN carriers who sustain losses resulting from dangerous cargoes no longer enjoy a virtual guarantee that shippers of the cargo will be held liable for their losses. A 3 March ruling by the US Appeals Court for the Second District, struck down the “strict liability” standard of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA) where the carrier is aware that a cargo is inherently dangerous. In a communiqué to its clients, the Blank Rome law firm warns that “Where the carrier is generally aware of the hazardous nature of cargo, even if it is not aware of the precise nature of the risk, and the carrier nevertheless exposes it to potentially dangerous conditions, it will not be able to rely on the strict liability provisions of COGSA but will be required to show that the shipper acted negligently with respect to the cargo and/or its obligation to warn the carrier of the specific nature of the cargo’s risks== 2E” The change came as the appellate court reversed a lower court ruling that held PPG Industries fully liable for the loss of the DG Harmony, which caught fire off Brazil in November 2007 after one of ten containers packed with calcium hypochlorite (hydrated) (“calhypo”) exploded. The lower court held PPG fully liable under the “strict liability standard” but the appeals court that “a shipper cannot be held strictly liable for damage caused during the shipment of hazardous cargo in circumstances where the carrier was generally aware that the cargo’s dangerous nature requires careful handling or stowage.” The case has been returned to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York “to make findings on the issue of whether an adequate warning would have affected how the carrier stowed the calhypo.”

Maritime Safety News Today – 8th February 2008

VIDEO: Minister: Fire on Ship Cannot be Put Out

The burning ship has started to move away from shore, and the emergency centre in Pula has announced that the drama will continue overnight.

Blazing freighter threatens oil spill off Croatia

Guardian Unlimited – UK
Tug boats were cooling the shell of the Turkish ship to prevent it from melting and allowing the ship’s cargo to pollute the sea. The accident happened 13  

Safety Assessment of Container Ships

Container ships have been increasing in size noticeably in recent years, and very large container ships with load capacity exceeding 10,000 TEU have been completed worldwide. Very large 8,000 TEU class container ships have already been built to NK class. With the increasing size of the hull, very thick steel plates exceeding 70mm in thickness are being used in the hull structure around the upper deck. Laboratory studies in recent years, however, have reported that brittle cracks that occur in the welds of very thick steel plates in fact propagate in straight lines without swerving and may not stop even after penetrating the parent material, which is contrary to conventional wisdom.

Owner sues US over grounding

NEW YORK, NY 7 February – Seaspan Ship Management and Seaspan Corp, owners of the container ship New Delhi Express are suing the US government over an April 2006 grounding in Kill Van Kull – blaming the mishap on inaccurate charts and an out-of-position buoy. The $3M lawsuit was filed last week in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Seaspan’s behalf by the maritime law firm of Chalos, O’Connor & Duffy. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff charges that the vessel grounding occurred because the ship was relying on Bergen Point Lighted Buoy 14 while making a turn in heavy fog. The suit alleges that, “unbeknownst to the master, compulsory docking pilot or to the plaintiff”, the buoy was some 25 yards away from its charted position and that the pilot and crew relied on the charts. The suit specifically blames the USCG, which maintains the buoy, and the National Ocean Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which maintains charts for the area. An earlier finding by the National Transportation Safety Board blamed the pilot in the grounding of the 4,253-TEU Hapag-Lloyd-operated ship.

DFA warns seamen
Tempo – Manila,Philippines
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has warned Filipino seafarers against illegal recruitment agencies in Singapore that promise high-salaried jobs as 

Repairs to Internet Cables Begin in Gulf

Posted 02/06/08 at 10:17 AM

A repair ship began work at the site where an Internet cable was cut last week in the Persian Gulf, and a second vessel was to arrive later that day at the spot north of Egypt where two other cables were cut just two days earlier, FLAG Telecom said…

Maritime Safety News Today – February 1 2008

10 fishermen feared dead in South Korean shipwreck
Times of India – India
All the 10 fishermen are feared dead,” a spokesman for Jeju Maritime Police said. The 136-tonne ship named the 102 Soyang went down 65 kilometres (40 miles)

Stricken ferry runs aground
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
Royal National Lifeboat Institution spokesman John Matthews said the ferry crew, some of them Polish, seemed calm and confident. A spokesman for Seatruck …

15 Injured, oil spilled as Peruvian navy tanker explodes
Trading Markets (press release) – Los Angeles,CA,USA
… of Zorritos told Efe the accident took place in Pacific waters near the Corvina oil platform, which lies close to Peru’s maritime boundary with Ecuador.

RESCUE AT SEA
Tempo – Manila,Philippines
… weight while the vessel already started to submerge. Fishermen saw the sinking ship, rescued the crew members and took them to a nearby islet in Tandag.

Chinese Search for Missing Russian Ship

Chinese maritime search and rescue forces are aiding the search for a Russian ship that went missing east of Shanghai last Thursday.
Hebei Spirit case will be long as Samsung denies responsibility
Seatradeasia-online (subscription) – London,UK
In a statement submitted to a Daejeon court, the company claimed the Hong Kong-based Hebei Spirit oil tanker was responsible for the collision with a …

USCG – shipboard inspection and testing of immersion suits

The US Coast Guard issued guidelines for periodic inspection and testing of immersion suits by ships’ crews.  These guidelines are based on standards developed by IMO.  NVIC 01-08 (1/28/08).

UN Maritime Drill Conducted off Lebanese Coast

The Maritime Task Force of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL) conducted a three-day drill intended to “improve cooperation and establish coordination mechanisms between the different naval and land forces involved.”

Maritime Safety News – 28 January 2008

Fatal ferry organizer on the run
Shanghai Daily – Shanghai,China
By Dong Zhen 2008-1-25 A MAN who arranged an illegal ferry ride on January 11 that left 10 dead and one still missing after a collision at sea, 

Report on ’07 sinking urges stricter boat regulations
Boston Globe – United States
A fishing boat with four crewmembers probably sank in Nantucket Sound last year because a build-up of ice added so much weight that it caused the ship to 

Total Appeals Verdict in Oil Spill Trial
Forbes – NY,USA
It had an impact across Europe: a year after the sinking, the European Union agreed on tighter controls on maritime safety, notably the phasing out of 

Philippines to Ban Single-Hull Vessels

Posted 01/28/08 at 10:35 AM

The Philippines will ban single-hull oil tankers from its waters from April, two years earlier than planned, after the worst oil spill in the country’s history and a separate leak in South Korea. Vessels carrying “black” petroleum products such as crude oil and bunker fuel won’t be allowed to dock at ports from April 1 without a double hull, said.

Tanker Owner in Spill Denies Wrongdoing

Posted 01/25/08 at 10:39 AM

According to reports, the owner and operators of the tanker involved in South Korea’s worst oil spill denied any wrongdoing, but offered sympathy to locals affected by the environmental fallout and their insurer agreed to accept claims for compensation.

HEBEI SPIRIT TRIAL BEGINS
Maritime Global Net – Warren,RI,USA
THE trial in South Korea of five men accused of negligence and violating anti-pollution laws in connection with the Hebei Spirit collision and spill in 

$550000 fine levied for sunken tour boat
Maui News – Wailuku,HI,USA
“But some of their actions after the sinking reflected poor judgment and bad decision-making. There was damage to a protected conservation area.

Maritime Safety News Today – 26 January 2008

Titas pipeline on blaze after hit by trawler
The Daily Star – Dhaka,Bangladesh
“Soon after the propeller of the vessel hit the pipeline with a bang, a huge swirl was created in the river and we thought our boat was sinking,” said 

Crippled ship is rescued
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
“She was en-route from New Zealand to India to be scrapped when she broke down and Maritime Safety Authorities asked us to take her in tow,” Capt .

OJ Freighter Hits Ship in NJ
The Associated Press –
The vessel was later stabilized and in no danger of sinking, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The Orange Sun was on its way to a

Coast Guard assists sinking tugboat’s crew
Peninsula Daily – Port Angeles,WA,USA
The crew put on survival suits and got into the water as the vessel was sinking. A fishing vessel, the Kilchis, picked up the crew, and took them to a 

3 men rescued from sinking fishing boat
KING5.com – Seattle,WA,USA
AP SEATTLE – The Coast Guard says it has rescued three men from a fishing vessel that was taking on water after hitting a jetty at the exit to Grays Harbor

Dragger sinks near Trenton
Ellsworth American – Ellsworth,ME,USA
The Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) responded to the sinking. The vessel reportedly was attached to .

Trial opens over SKorea’s worst oil spill
AFP –
The accident happened after a line connecting one of two tugboats to the barge snapped, leaving the barge drifting uncontrollably towards the Hebei Spirit .

Hong Kong Tanker Owners Protest South Korean Indictment of Crew in …
Voice of America – USA
Last December, the Hebei Spirit, a Hong Kong-registered tanker, was at anchor off the west coast of South Korea. A drifting South Korean crane barge, 

KIRIBATI MAN DETAINED IN CHINA
Niu FM – Auckland,New Zealand
Auckland 8am: A maritime recruitment agancy says very little is known about a Kiribati seafarer being detained in China for drug smuggling – so the

Lawyers Plan to Meet Today Over Cosco Busan Oil Spill
KCBS – CA,USA
Friday, lawyers are supposed to discuss whether the process is on course for an April 28 hearing into the Cosco Busan’s collision with the Bay Bridge, 

Unions discuss FOC shipping with Irish ministers
Shipping Times – UK
They explained how crucial this was in light of the number of seafarers who disappear without a trace – some 1500 annually. Requests for assistance were 

53 ships docked without safety norms, SC told
Times of India – India
Since the September order, the nodal Gujarat Maritime Board has not given permission for ship-breaking because no shipbreaker has provided the requisite

Maritime Safety News Today – 17th January 2008

Cargo Ship Sinks Off Philippines

Rescuers were searching for 10 Filipino crewmen missing after a Taiwanese-owned cargo ship sank off the northern Philippines on Wednesday, coast guard officials said.

The Panama-registered MV Ho Feng sank off the northern Batanes island group with 20 crew on board, said coast guard spokesman Lt. Armand Balilo. He said it was unclear what caused it to sink.

“Six of the crewmen have been rescued by passing ships, four are still being rescued while 10 remain missing,” he said.

Ship carrying Chinese crew sank off Taiwan
Radio Taiwan International – Taipei,Taiwan
The ship set out from Hong Kong with a crew from China. It sank 20 nautical miles off Taiwan early Monday. The coast guard said that winds west of Taiwan

USCG – master charged in bridge allision

The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that the master of the tug that was towing a crane barge when it struck a bridge near Beaufort, South Carolina on April 26, 2007 has been charged in the agency’s administrative process with negligence and misconduct.  As part of a settlement agreement, the mariner has agreed to a six-month suspension of his license and will attend a bridge resource management class (how ironic).  A civil penalty process has been initiated regarding actions of the company operating the tug. (1/14/08).

Total gets guilty verdict in France’s worst oil spill
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) – Wien,Austria
A year after the sinking, the European Union agreed on tighter controls on maritime safety, notably the phasing out of single hull tankers like Erika.

COLLISION FEARS AT WRECK SITE
South Devon Herald Express – Torquay,England,UK
Pollution and collision fears now surround the sunken timber vessel Ice Prince, whose crew are still recovering in Brixham after being rescued by the Torbay

MEND takes responsibility for latest Nigeria oil town attack
AFP –
Etomi had appeared on a local television channel saying that a fire Friday on a tanker ship berthed in Port Harcourt was caused by a “marine accident“

Maritime Safety News Today – 11th January 2008

Two dead in Baltic Sea lifeboat accident
Sydney Morning Herald – Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
Two people died and one was seriously injured in a lifeboat accident onboard a container freight ship in the Baltic Sea, officials said.

Another freighter hits bottom in Muskegon
Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com – Kalamazoo,MI,USA
The grounding of the Indiana Harbor was followed by that of another 1000-footer, the American Integrity, on Sept. 10. It wiggled free after about an hour,

Navy submarine collides with cargo ship off Diu

NEW DELHI: The collision of an Indian attack submarine, INS Sindhugosh, with a large foreign-owned cargo ship in the Arabian Sea last Monday could have meant a cold watery grave for the 53 sailors on board the underwater vessel.

Fishing vessel stranded near the rocks in outer New Bedford (3:01 pm)
SouthCoastToday.com – New Bedford,MA,USA
He noted that the Western-rig scalloper is not yet damaged, though it sits high on rocky ground. The vessel’s crew is checking for signs of damage or

Indonesia tackles human error

09 Jan 2008

JAKARTA 9 January – Indonesia’s Department of Transportation (DOT) blames human error for half the country’s maritime mishaps last year. Of the 79 ship accidents in 2007 that killed 558 people, 54 cases were reportedly caused by people either lacking the training to man vessels or simply being uncertified for the task at hand.
However, DOT spokesperson Umar Aris …

Standard P&I Club in wake-up call over fines and risk of jail

INFLUENTIAL mutual, the Standard P&I Club, has warned that shipping boardrooms are seriously underestimating the impact of a “breathtaking” level of fines and jail sentences imposed by the Marpol anti-pollution convention.

The Bermuda-incorporated protection and indemnity club has called on ship operators to heed the legislation it has dubbed a “multi-million dollar problem”, if they want to avoid escalating fines and their employees being sent to jail.

Standard has added its voice to a rising chorus of concern among industry representatives and insurers over the rapidly rising level of pollution-related fines and the criminalisation of seafarers in the US.

BIMCO and Intertanko last year published guidelines to members on compliance with Marpol, or the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships.

GAO – terrorism & energy commodity tankers

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report addressing challenges in preventing and responding to terrorist attacks on energy commodity tankers. The lengthy report focuses on liquefied gas carriers, but actually covers tankers carrying crude oil and refined products in addition. It recommends better planning by the Coast Guard and other agencies for a growing security workload; ensuring that ports plan deal with the economic consequences of an attack; integrating terrorism and response plans; and developing performance

Australia – caution re use of GPS and DGPS

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) issued a notice reminding mariners that even GPS and DGPS are not infallible and should not be used as the sole means of position-fixing. Older GPS receivers lack certain capabilities. Further, GPS read-outs are based on the WGS-84 geodetic datum, with the result that GPS data may not translate accurately onto charts using other datums. Note: The inability of most GPS receivers installed before 1 July 2003 to conduct Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) is known, but not well publicized. This means that the older receivers will continue to utilize signals from a GPS satellite even when the satellite is malfunctioning (newer receivers automatically discount such erroneous signals). Older GPS receivers also lack course over ground and speed over ground output and are less able to cope with signal interference. Marine Notice 29/2007 (12/21/07).

American Maritime Safety (AMS) Files Amicus Curiae (“Friend of the Court”) Brief in the United States Supreme Court

AMS brief in support of Exxon Mobil’s argument before the Supreme Court that the $2.5 billion it was ordered to pay in punitive damages in the Exxon Valdez case – one of the largest awards ever against an American company – was in conflict with more than 200 years of maritime law.

 

Israel ‘plotted to blow up freighter’ / Plan to keep N. Korean …
The Daily Yomiuri – Osaka,Japan
JERUSALEM–Israel plotted to blow up a smuggling vessel in the Mediterranean Sea in 1991 in an attempt to block transport of ballistic missiles from North

 

New sharing website kicks off industry-wide asset integrity programme

Step Change in Safety has launched its 2008 programme to improve asset integrity on offshore installations with the creation of a unique sharing website.<br /><br />The first of its kind, the website aims to increase the sharing of good practice, improve companies internal learning processes and enhance communication within companies and across Industry on the key issues surrounding process safety and asset integrity....

http://www.oilandgas.org.uk/media/view-press.cfm/458

 

Maritime Safety News Today – 4th January 2008

1 Confirmed Rescued after Bulgarian Cargo Ship Sinking
Sofia News Agency – Bulgaria
Bulgaria: The Bulgarian mechanic Nikolay Dimitrov has been rescued after the cargo ship Vanessa sank Thursday morning near the Kerch Strait, Maritime

Master Missing After Tug Sinks

Posted 01/03/08 at 07:53 AM

The Coast Guard is searching for the captain of the 52-foot towing vessel, Gate-Way, that sunk with two people onboard near Norco, La., on the Mississippi River. At approximately 12:30 a.m on January 2, 2008, Sector New Orleans received a call from the towing vessel Secretariat as well as from the dispatch operartor of the Saint Rose Fleet.

Lifeboat aids hurt tanker crewman
BBC News – UK
The Holyhead all-weather lifeboat was called out by coastguards in poor weather to take the man, who is in his mid-20s, to Holyhead marina.

Owwa assures support for killed seafarer’s family (12:42 pm)
Sun.Star – Philippines
Cruz, “an electrician of the fire-gutted tanker vessel M/T Keno, was the lone fatality when militants attacked Port Harcourt last December 19,” he added. 

Transport Canada probes collision in harbour in St. John’s, NL
The Canadian Press –
JOHN’S, NL – Transport Canada is investigating a New Year’s Day collision in the harbour in St. John’s, NL The freighter Cabot broke free of its moorings,

Tug boats refloat grounded ship
The Press Association –
A 90000-tonne sea tanker that ran aground in the Dover Strait has been refloated and tugged away, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has said.

South Korea indicts vessel owners in oil spill
Oil & Gas Journal – Houston,TX,USA
The collision occurred Dec. 7 in the Yellow Sea near Taean, South Chungcheong, causing South Korea’s worst-ever oil spill. SHI also owned the two tugboats

NY judge dismisses Spain’s claims over oil spill
Reuters – USA
… single-hulled vessel as fit to carry fuel cargoes six months before the disaster. The bureau disputed Spain’s allegations, saying the sinking of the

Setusamudram channel, an ecological disaster
By kalyan97
… Assessment for the Proposed Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project” http://tinyurl.com/38hjqs ) The researchers conclude that going purely by the amount of traffic in the channel, and with the global accident rates prevailing world-wide,