Master Faces Jail Time and Fines After Crew Reports MARPOL Violation
The master of a UAE-owned product tanker (PS Dream), Abdurrahman Korkmaz, has pleaded guilty to obstruction and violating ship pollution prevention laws in a Louisiana court. The criminal case against both the master and the shipping companies stems from the report of a crewmember who two weeks before the vessel reached New Orleans, reported the incident to the U.S. Coast Guard. This individual and another crewmember blew the whistle and provided evidence, including photos and videos showing oil being pumped overboard and trailing behind the tanker to the Coast Guard. The crew-supplied evidence was presented in court as a key part of the prosecution. Korkmaz faces up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his role in ordering the dumping of oil-contaminated waste into the ocean during the voyage to New Orleans. According to documents and statements filed in court, Korkmaz ordered his crew to pump overboard from the residual oil tank which contained oily waste. A portable pump placed inside the tank and connected to a long flexible hose was used to discharge directly into the ocean without any required pollution prevention equipment or monitoring. The…