Court Fines Marine Polluter $725,000

U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Lazzara in Tampa last week slapped a Turkish vessel operator with a $725,000 fine and three years probation after it pleaded guilty to two counts of pollution.

During an inspection in March 2009, Coast Guard investigators found a “magic pipe” aboard the tanker Kerim, at the time operated by Istanbul-based Aksay Denizcilik Ve Ticaret. The pipe bypasses a vessel’s oil-water separator and allows oily bilge water to be dumped directly into the ocean.

Aksay also was ordered to implement an environmental compliance plan.

-- Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.