The chief engineer of a large commercial bulk carrier pleaded guilty this week in U.S. federal court to two felony counts of deliberately discharging oily water near New Orleans and lying to the U.S. Coast Guard during the investigation into the oil spill. Another crewmember aboard the vessel reported the incident via social media to the Coast Guard and was later subjected to retaliatory actions by the chief engineer.
“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate effort to cover up the crime are extremely serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana said the incident took place on March 13-14, 2021 when an unnamed bulk carrier registered in the Marshall Islands was anchored near the South West Passage off the Louisiana coast. They declined to name the vessel saying the investigation is continuing but reported that the chief engineer, a Russian citizen named Kirill Kompaniets pleaded guilty on May 18.
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