Stanships Reported to be in Hot Water for Yet Another Alleged OWS Bypass

Tradewinds is reporting that the Panamanian-flag bulk carrier vessel AMERICANA, operated by Stanships, Inc., has been found with an allegedly illegal bypass rigged to its oily water separator, in an article by Aaron Kelly. The discovery reportedly came during a Coast Guard examination in early November, in which the Coast Guard also found other safety violations on board the vessel, including leaking fuel pumps. The Coast Guard is still investigating, but if the suspicions are confirmed, this would be the second OWS violation for Stanships this year. In September, Stanships was sentenced by the U.S. District Court in New Orleans for a "magic pipe" bypass on the M/V DORIC GLORY, and was sentenced to pay a total amount of $700,000, to comply with a court-monitored Environmental Compliance Plan, and to serve a three-year probation. Needless to say, a second conviction would be a violation of the terms of the probation, and would expose Stanships to significantly more severe penalties, including a possible ban from trading to the U.S. However, no charges have been brought yet. Stanships manages a fleet of four 1970's-built, Panamanian-flag bulk carriers, of which the AMERICANA was the only one to have avoided a port state control detention, at least until this most recent development.