Cosco contractor, HK`s Fleet Management, fined US$10 million for spill

HONG KONG`s Fleet Management Ltd, responsible for the running of the COSCO Busan, which struck a bridge in San Francisco`s November fog in 2007, causing a 50,000 gallon fuel oil spill, will pay US$10 million fine after plea bargain with the US Justice Department.
The Justice Department said Fleet Management had pleaded guilty to a criminal violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, aggravated by felony obstruction of justice and false statement charges for creating false and forged documents after the crash at the direction of shore-based supervisors with intent to deceive the US Coast Guard, reported American Shipper.