In a recent U.S. enforcement action targeting marine pollution, Mexico-based ship management company Gremex Shipping S.A. has been sentenced for concealing illegal discharges of oily bilge waste into the ocean.
The company, which operates the Panamanian-flagged cement carrier M/V Suhar, pleaded guilty to violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) in a federal court in Pensacola, Florida.
The investigation began after the U.S. Coast Guard personnel boarded the Suhar upon its arrival in Pensacola on August 25, 2023.
The vessel, which regularly transports cement between Tampico, Mexico, and Pensacola, had been managed by Gremex since March 2021.
The Coast Guard’s findings revealed that crew members routinely bypassed pollution control equipment, discharging untreated oily bilge water directly into the ocean.
To cover up these actions, crew members falsified entries in the ship’s oil record book, a document essential for monitoring compliance with international pollution regulations.
The case highlights the significance of MARPOL, an international marine pollution treaty signed by both the United States and Panama.
MARPOL mandates that ships process oily bilge water through an oily water separator before discharge and that accurate record-keeping is maintained.
Compliance with this treaty is required by federal law for all foreign vessels entering U.S. waters.
The court’s sentencing, jointly recommended by Gremex and government officials, included a $1.75 million fine, a four-year probation period, and the requirement for Gremex to implement a detailed environmental compliance plan during the probation.
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