MSC Container Ship Pays Violation Fines

A Mediterranean Shipping Company containership, the MSC Aurora was recently fined on November 15 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for violating the EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP).

It was noted that the 13,050TEU containership, during 11 voyages to West Coast ports in the US dated from November 2016 to July 2021, failed to complete routine visual inspections as well as they did not submit annual reports in a timely manner from 2016-2019 to the EPA.

MSC was fined a civil penalty of $66,474 and has agreed to pay the fine.

Amy Miller, EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director stated, “Vessels that do not comply with their CWA permits can have significant environmental impacts to our waterways, including the introduction of invasive species,” she continued, “Failure to comply with the VGP requirements can result in significant penalties.”