6 charged in dumping of oil-tainted wheat in South China Sea [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Feb. 03, 2004

6 charged in dumping of oil-tainted wheat in South China Sea
CATHERINE WILSON
Associated Press

MIAMI - A U.S. shipping company hired a Bulgarian crew to illegally dump into the South China Sea 442 tons of wheat contaminated by diesel leaking into one of the ship's main cargo holds, federal prosecutors charged Tuesday.

The leak was discovered when the humanitarian shipment of grain was being unloaded in Bangladesh, and the dumping plan was concocted when the ship was in a Singapore dry dock five years ago, prosecutors said.

Three Iowa shipping company executives and three others have been charged with conspiracy for alleging planning to dump the oily grain from the U.S.-flagged cargo ship, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The shipper, Sabine Transportation Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to dumping 440 tons of wheat contaminated with diesel and agreed a year ago to pay $2 million in penalties.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7866272.htm