Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has paid fines for the second time this year for flouting California’s strict environmental regulations
Late last week the Swiss-based liner paid $630,625 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for violating the Ocean-Going Vessel At-Berth regulation.
The violations were discovered during a routine audit of the company’s 2014 visits to the Port of Oakland and the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
CARB’s investigation revealed more than 2,500 violations for both the Oakland and Los Angeles/Long Beach fleets for “failing to reduce auxiliary engine power generation by at least 50% and for exceeding limits for auxiliary engine run time” as required by the At-Berth regulation.
“Ocean-going vessels are significant contributors to air pollution,” said CARB Enforcement Division Chief Todd Sax.
“Even in port, their auxiliary engines generate toxic diesel particulate pollution that impacts not only port-adjacent communities, but also entire inland regions.”
Adopted in 2007, the At-Berth Regulation was designed to reduce emissions from diesel auxiliary engines on commercial ships while berthing at a California port.
Vessel operators can either turn off auxiliary engines and connect to grid-based shore power, or use alternative technologies to achieve equivalent emission reductions while in port.
CARB said the regulation ultimately requires a fleet operator to reduce at-berth oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from its vessels’ auxiliary engines in port by at least 80% by 2020.
MSC is said to have “cooperated with the investigation” and has subsequently converted its California fleets to include 100% shore power-equipped vessels, and has had no further violations of the At-Berth regulation.
In March this year MSC paid CARB $350,000 in penalties for violating air quality regulations under an agreed settlement.
An investigation by CARB showed that four MSC vessels, one vessel twice, failed to comply with California Code of Regulations (CCR) for ocean going vessels.
MSC had one vessel that operated under strict liability for three days at $10,000 per day; three vessels operated negligently for a total of eight days at $25,000 per day; and one vessel operated under failure to correct for three days at $40,000 per day, for a total of $350,000.
Other owners and operators fined over similar infringements this year include Peter Dohle Shiffahrts-KG, Hsin Chien Marine Co, SM Line Corp, Yang Ming Marine Transport, Navios ShipManagement and Wilhelmsen Ship Management.
