Maryland Asks Evergreen for Reparations

Following the re-floating of Taiwan-based shipping line Evergreen’s vessel, Ever Forward, in the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland, U.S., Maryland has requested that Evergreen pay US$ 100 million in reparations for damage to the Bay’s eco-system.

“While we do not know the full scope of the environmental impact thus far, a 131,420-ton ship, carrying tons of cargo and fuel, getting stuck in our waters undoubtedly has resulted in disruptions to the Bay’s fragile eco-system,” said Peter Franchot, Maryland Comptroller, in a letter to Evergreen’s president, Benjamin Tsai.

Ever Forward was grounded in the Chesapeake Bay for over a month, requiring extensive dredging efforts to free it. “While this may have been a necessary action, among its potential consequences include damage to oyster beds and disruptions to the spawning season for several species that our seafood industry—already struggling economically due to labor shortages—will harvest in the coming months,” Franchot added.