OIL ESCAPES

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1930, Page 2

OIL ESCAPES

SHIP’S MASTER FINED £IOO.

AUCKLAND, April 10

After counsel for the Auckland Harbour Board had stated that the case was a particularly bad one, a fine of £IOO was imposed by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, on G. Thorsen, master of the oil-tanker Aeasta, wii'o admitted a charge of allowing the discharge or escape of oil into the harbour. The prosecution was brought by the harbourmaster, Captain Sergeant under the Oil in Territorial Waters Act-, 1925. Mr Gray, for the Harbour Board, said that on Wednesday evening the attention of a Harbour Board official had been drawn to a quantity of oil which had escaped from the Aeasta at tlie western wharf. The harbourmaster, who was informed went with witnesses to the vessel, and found that the gangway had been drawn up, preventing anybody from going on board. When they managed to get on the ship they found that the deck on the port side from the bridge aft, was covered with oil, which had escaped from the scuppers, and was floating in large patches under, the wharf. Mr Weir, representing Captain Thorsen, said there must have been an airlock in the pipeline allowing the oil to come out of the hold used for sounding. As soon as the escape of oil \Vas discovered the oil was turned off at the valves. “The maximum fine for this offence is £SOO. Tlia.t is what the Legislature

thinks of it,” said the Magistrate. “I will fine this man £IOO, a fifth of the maximum.”