Two foreign shipping companies have been banned from doing business in the United States after committing environmental crimes.
What's happening?
The crimes occurred aboard the M/V ASL Singapore, a carrier owned and operated by ASL Singapore Shipping Limited and Jia Feng Shipping Limited.
According to U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson, a routine Coast Guard inspection found the ship had used a "magic pipe" — a flexible hose attached to a portable pump — to discharge oily bilge water overboard. This action violated the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, also known as MARPOL, which regulates how such waste must be disposed of.
The inspection also found that falsified oil record books had been presented to the Coast Guard in an attempt to hide that oily bilge water had been repeatedly dumped overboard since at least June 2023.
The companies pleaded guilty, resulting in the ban and a combined $1.85 million in fines. The ship's chief engineer, Fei Wang, was separately sentenced to three months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Why is bilge water concerning?
Bilge water, which gathers in the lowest part of a ship's hull, typically contains various oils and other contaminants from the ship's engine. When not disposed of properly, that oil becomes a major threat to marine life.
Even small amounts of oil can be deadly to animals. It can coat wildlife's feathers or fur, preventing birds from flying or making fur less insulating. The toxins within oil can also cause major long-term health problems.
Much of this pollution is carried out by companies that also boast about being environmentally friendly. This tactic, called greenwashing, is commonplace among polluters. Such corporations will use commercials and other public-facing means to promote green projects while continuing to damage Earth when few people are looking.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, ASL Singapore Shipping Limited has a large section on its website dedicated to its sustainability efforts.
|
Could America stop using oil and gas by 2050? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
For sure 👍 What's being done about illegal dumping?
The M/V ASL Singapore is not the first ship to be fined, or banned from doing business, because of its illegal dumping practices. So far this year, several Greek shipping companies have been found guilty of polluting our waters and had to pay fines of $4.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
There are also nonprofits, like SkyTruth, that use satellite images to detect oil pollution, which can frequently occur in remote areas of the ocean that are hard to monitor. SkyTruth's Cerulean tracking system is free for anyone to see when and where oil pollution has occurred.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
