Msc-Aurora Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On November 15, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced penalties amounting to $81,474 aimed at the container ship 'MSC Aurora' and the bulk carrier 'Western Durban' due to violations of the Vessel General Permit (VGP) in California and Louisiana. These infractions are in clear breach of the Clean Water Act (CWA). From November 2016 to July 2021, 'MSC Aurora' failed to perform mandatory routine visual inspections for eleven voyages to key West Coast ports, including Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland. In addition, the vessel neglected to provide timely annual reports to the EPA for the years 2016 through 2019. As a result of these multiple violations, Mediterranean Shipping Company, SRL has consented to pay a civil penalty of $66,474 as part of the settlement. Meanwhile, the bulk carrier 'Western Durban' was found negligent in August 2017 for not conducting monthly functionality checks and an annual calibration of its ballast water treatment system prior to discharging ballast water at the Port of New Orleans. Furthermore, it did not carry out the necessary biological monitoring post-discharge. For these lapses, the Tokyo-based Victoria Ship Management company has been fined a total of $15,000. These environmental breaches were uncovered in February 2020 during comprehensive on-site visual inspections conducted by the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The settlement with MSC concerning the 'MSC Aurora' addresses CWA violations and includes a 30-day public comment period before receiving final approval, whereas the comment period for the 'Western Durban' has already concluded.