Hong Kong: Fleet Management has been fined $10m by US court for its role in the oil spill that resulted from the collision of the Cosco Busan with the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Fleet pleaded guilty last year to violating federal pollution laws and felony obstruction of justice after the containership Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge in fog on 7 November 2007 resulting in a spill 53,000 gallons of bunker fuel. A US District court fined the firm $10m on Friday. As part of the sentence, US District Judge Susan Illston also ordered the ship manager to institute a compliance plan to heighten training and voyage planning for ships engaged in trade in the United States. "Fleet's systemic management failures played a significant role in causing the Cosco Busan disaster, and they compounded the problem by attempting to cover up their conduct," said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the US Justice Department's Environmental and Natural Resources Division. "The sentence today not only includes a significant monetary penalty but also will ensure that Fleet Management develops a culture that puts safety and the environment first." [22/02/10]
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