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The article reports that BP plc had pled guilty to criminal and civil charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November 2012 in relation to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that happened in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. BP is expected to pay 4 billion dollars in penalties to settle the charges brought by the DOJ. In a press conference, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer commented on the oil spill and the settlement.

The article reports that the Pacific Gulf Marine (PGM) manager has agreed to plead guilty in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships in the U.S. If approved by the court, PGM will pay $1 million criminal fine and $500,000 for community service. PGM admitted that its shore-side management failed to provide sufficient management resources, supervision and support to the ships and to its employees.

The article reports that the request of Fleet Management Ltd. for an emergency appeal of a ruling that would require it to pay a fine of up to US$40 million once it pleads guilty to misdemeanor charges related to a 2007 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, California, has been rejected by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Fleet Management is being required to issue its guilty plea under a revised indictment which would lead to higher amount of fines. The oil spill has released around 54,000 gallons of bunker fuel.

The article announces that Mid-America Pipeline Co. has pled guilty to negligently releasing 200,000 gallons of ammonia into a Kansas creek in October 2004. According to attorney Eric Melgren, the pipe created a vapor cloud and caused residents to evacuate their homes. The company pled guilty to violating the U.S. Clean Water Act and will pay $1 million dollars of criminal penalty to the Oil Spill and Hazardous Substances Clean-up Trust Fund.

The article reports that a U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that federal sentencing guidelines were misapplied in a case involving Noel Abrogar, chief engineer of the ship Magellan Phoenix. He was found guilty of knowingly making false entries in the ship's oil record book regarding the discharge of oil-contaminated waste at sea. The government argued that the multiple improper oily waste discharges fit the criteria for allowing an enhanced sentence.

Reports on the agreement of container ship company MSC Ship Management Ltd. to plead guilty to charges that it engaged in conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, false statements and violated the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships in the U.S. Terms of the plea agreement between MSC and the U.S.; Amount of fine to be imposed against the company.

Reports that Dutch-based shipping company Jo Tankers B.V. has agreed to plead guilty for participating in an international cartel, according to the U.S. Justice Department in 2004. Information on parcel tanker shipping; Charges filed against Jo Tankers; Details of the sentence ruled against Jo Tankers executive Hendrikus van Westenbrugge for his role in the conspiracy.

Reports on the guilty plea of Connecticut-based shipping company OMI Corp. to preparing false documents in an effort to cover up the illegal dumping of waste oil and sludge at sea. Amount of fine agreed to pay by the company; Information on the ship involved in the case; Requirements of the U.S. law for ships that enter U.S. waters.

This article reports on the illegal dumping of waste done by the Holy House Shipping AB, a Swedish shipping company. The company pled guilty to a two-count violation of the U.S. Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and making false statements to authorities. A total of U.S. $1.4 million fine plus a three-year probation sentence was imposed on the company. As part of the probation, the company was requested to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) to prevent future waste dumping.

The article reports that South Korean company Sun Ace Shipping has been sentenced for violations of the U.S. Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. The company pled guilty to failing to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book and falsifying records to conceal illegal discharges in September 2006. The inspectors have discovered that crew members were using hoses to bypass the oily water separator and discharge oily waste into the ocean.

Reports on the decision of a chief engineer of a tanker ship to plead guilty to his alleged role in concealing improper oil discharges, as of June 2004. Details of a U.S. governmental investigation on the case; Penalty imposed by the U.S. Coast Guard on the chief engineer for his false statements and presentation of false records during the investigation; Implications of the plea for companies and individuals operating and managing ships.