Tanker Operators Please Guilty to Federal Pollution Charges

In a press release on Tuesday, May 21, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that two operator companies of the tanker PS Dream - Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret - have pleaded guilty to intentionally violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and misleading authorities by providing a false oil record book.

The guilty plea was entered in the federal court of Orleans, presided over by the Chief Justice of the U.S. District Court. If convicted, the two companies will face a $2 million fine and four years of probation. Additionally, the captain of the PS Dream has been separately charged.

This case originated from a crew member's report to the Coast Guard of Orleans on January 11, 2023. The crew member provided a video showing oil being pumped overboard, trailing behind the PS Dream. Two weeks later, the vessel docked at the Port of Orleans, where the crew member submitted the video as evidence to the Coast Guard.

The PS Dream is a 51,000 dwt oil tanker built in 2009, registered under the flag of Panama. On May 8, the vessel departed from Hamriya, UAE, and is currently anchored in Singapore.