EPA will fine Asia Cement freighter for deliberate spill

A freighter owned by Asia Cement Corp (亞泥) could be fined up to NT$1.5 million for intentionally spilling oil into the Taiwan Strait on June 13, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced yesterday.

According to Coast Guard Administration officers, the Asia Cement No. 5 (亞泥五號) spilled waste fuel oil when it was 9.26km off the coast of Kuanyin township, Tao-yuan County.

The freighter, laden with cement, was on its way from Hualien Harbor to Taichung Harbor.

The Coast Guard's air scouts took photographs and a video of the freighter, which was followed by a 5km strip of oil floating on the surface of the ocean.

The scouts soon notified their local unit in Hsinchu to hold up the freighter.

"The captain and his crew members admitted when we were on board to interrogate them that some waste fuel oil had been secretly discharged," Hsieh Chia-bin (謝嘉賓), a Coast Guard officer told the Taipei Times yesterday.

The captain reportedly attributed the spill to undiscovered cracks in pipes and said the amount of oil spilled was about 30 liters.

His excuse, however, failed to convince Coast Guard officers because the amount of oil floating on the surface of the sea was much more than 30 liters.

Hsieh said that the video and samples of polluted sea water were handed over to the EPA on June 13 for further analysis, in accordance with the Ocean Pollution Control Act.

"According to he Ocean Pollution Control Act, the ship owner will be fined from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million," said Lin Chien-hui (林建輝), deputy director-general of the EPA's Bureau of Water Quality Protection.

Lin told the Times yesterday that it was unnecessary to clean the polluted area because oil evaporates quickly.

Lin also said that EPA officials had no idea just how much oil was spilled.

Lin said that the Asia Cement No. 5 case was the first one involving a Taiwanese freighter spilling oil since the Ocean Pollution Control Act took effect in November 2000.

In January last year, the Greek-registered MV Amorgos, on its way from Indonesia to China, ran aground in bad weather near Kenting National Park.

Four days later, 1,150 tonnes of fuel oil began to spill and contaminated 6,987m2 of coastline.

In April this year, Taiwan received NT$61.3 million in compensation for the cleanup of the spill.

The EPA is seeking NT$900 million in compensation for damages and lawyers' fees.