Cargo Business Newswire

Monday, May 16, 2016

German cargo ship operator faces criminal charges

The German company who owns the cargo ship that was detained in Duluth last winter is facing criminal charges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office has charged MST Mineralien Schiffahrt with one count of violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. They claim the company's vessel – the M/V Cornelia — dumped oily waste into the Great Lakes on several occasions.

MST is also charged with eight counts of failing
to keep accurate records of oil-contaminated
waste disposal.

Court documents say the Cornelia was experiencing "significant leakages of oily waste water" between February and October of 2015. The ship's chief engineer and second engineer made crew members transfer oily bilge water to a tank meant to hold only clean water, which can be discharged overboard when needed.

Investigators say the discharge of oil-contaminated water occurred at least ten times, and each was deliberately not recorded by the chief engineer.

For more of the CBS story: minnesota.cbslocal.com