$3.3 Million Fine For Container Ship That Dumped Oil Into Arthur Kill

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The owners of a Greek tanker ship that illegally dumped an oily discharge into the Arthur Kill in 2022 have been ordered to pay a $3.375-million fine for the pollution, and make a $1.25-million donation to an American wildlife foundation.

The ship is the Kriti Ruby, an oil tanker. Federal prosecutors say in September 2022 the boat discharged an oily discharge into the Arthur Kill. The boat did this near the petroleum terminal in Sewaren.

The ship's engineers did this knowingly, said federal prosecutors, and the container ship's chief engineer later admitted in federal court he tried to hide the illegal dumping by falsifying the ship's records.

On Monday of this week, the two Greek shipping companies that share ownership of the Kriti Ruby, Avin International Ltd. and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises, pleaded guilty to violating the U.S. Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, falsifying records and obstruction of justice.

Federal judge Esther Salas sentenced both companies to pay a criminal fine of $3,375,000 and to make a $1,250,000 community service payment to the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The particularly large fines are intended to send a message to the international shipping companies that dock at the Port of Newark: “Maritime pollution is extremely harmful to the environment, and so difficult to detect, especially when the polluters take elaborate steps to falsify records to conceal their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger, who just announced this week he is retiring. “Law protecting our seas exist for a reason, and we will work together with our enforcement partners to ensure they are followed, and violators are punished.”

Konstantinos Atsalis, 57, was the chief engineer of the Kriti Ruby. In May of this year, he pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, including falsifying the vessel’s oil record book. Sonny Bosito, 54, the second ship's engineer, pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.

Federal prosecutors say the boat did the same illegal discharge when it docked in Jacksonville, Florida in May of 2022, five months before the ship's engineers again did the illegal discharge at the Woodbridge port.

Prosecutors said they dumped the oil into the Arthur Kill via the ship’s sewage system, bypassing required pollution prevention equipment. To make it difficult for the U.S. Coast Guard to discover, crew members hid most of the pumps and hoses used to conduct the bypass operations in a sealed void space called a “cofferdam.”

In Bosito's guilty plea, he admitted directing crew members to hide equipment before the U.S. Coast Guard came onboard to inspect the boat.

Atsalis was also sentenced Monday to time served and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. Bosito was sentenced to time served.

The head of the Coast Guard also asked New Jersey boaters to report any suspicious activity they see coming from the huge container ships that dock at the Port of Newark.

“Please assist the Coast Guard in these vital efforts by promptly reporting any suspicions of similar illegal activity onboard vessels directly to the Coast Guard Investigative Service," said Michael Platt, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s first district.

Prior: Tanker Caught Dumping ‘Oily Waste’ In NJ Waters, Covering It Up (May 2024)