Captain Jailed & Companies Fined For Illegal Oil Dumping In New Orleans

The captain of a Panama-flagged chemical tanker, P/S Dream, has been sentenced to eight months in prison for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste into the sea. His actions violated the law, and the companies he worked for, Prive Overseas Marine and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret, were also punished. They were fined $2 million in a federal court in New Orleans.

What Happened?

In January 2023, while the tanker was heading to New Orleans, the captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, told his crew to throw waste into the ocean. This waste was oil-contaminated, which is harmful to the environment. The companies, based in Turkey and Dubai, pleaded guilty to breaking environmental laws, including conspiracy, obstructing justice, and violating the Ship Pollution Prevention Act. On September 26, they were sentenced and placed on probation for four years.

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How They Tried to Hide It

According to the US Department of Justice, the senior managers of both companies knew about the illegal dumping. Captain Korkmaz even instructed the crew to clean the oil tank with soap and pump the dirty water into the sea. Over three days, the crew used a portable pump to get rid of the waste. To hide this, they lied in the ship’s oil record book, making it seem like no waste was dumped.

The Whistleblowers Exposed the Truth

This illegal operation was uncovered thanks to brave crew members. One crew member secretly filmed the waste dumping and contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, showing them video proof of the oil leak and the shiny layer of oil on the water. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another whistleblower came forward with an audio recording of an officer talking about the illegal dumping. This left no doubt that the law was broken.

To cover up the crime even more, the ship’s logs were given to the Coast Guard with false entries, saying that no oil waste was dumped. But the video and audio evidence from the whistleblowers proved otherwise.

The Punishment

As part of the $2 million fine, $500,000 will go to fund environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana, which will be handled by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In addition to the fine, both companies must now follow strict environmental rules during their probation. They will face regular checks and audits to ensure they don’t break the law again.