The captain of the Pacific Adventurer cargo ship that spilled more than 270,000 litres of oil off the south Queensland coast is due to face court in Brisbane on Monday.
Filipino national Bernardino Gonzales Santos, 47, faces one charge of disposal of oil in coastal waters, which carries a fine of up to $350,000.
Oil spill history. Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/owizard/
He is due to face the Brisbane Magistrates Court for a committal hearing.
The oil spill in March last year triggered a massive clean-up of Moreton Island, Bribie Island and Sunshine Coast beaches after the ship leaked heavy oil into the ocean in rough seas whipped up by Cyclone Hamish.
The ship also lost 31 containers of ammonium nitrate fertiliser overboard and later leaked oil into the Brisbane River while docked at the Port of Brisbane at Hamilton.
The vessel’s owner, Swire Shipping, has agreed to pay $25 million towards clean-up costs, including a $17.5 million limitation fund to cover valid claims arising from the incident, one of Australia’s worst environmental disasters.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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