Nation : Firm Agrees to R.I. Oil Spill Fine
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A shipping company and a tanker captain pleaded guilty today to federal charges of causing a 300,000-gallon oil spill off Rhode Island on June 23 and agreed to pay fines totaling $510,000.
Ballard Shipping Co., a Liberian-registered company operating in Piraeus, Greece, agreed to pay $500,000 to the state for environmental research. The captain, Iakovos Georgudis, a 43-year-old Greek citizen, agreed to a $10,000 fine.
Each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
If convicted, the captain could have received a year in jail and a penalty equal to twice the amount of damage. The Coast Guard has estimated the cleanup cost alone at $2 million. The shipping company was also liable for twice the damage.
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