No. P13/03 For release November 10, 2003 SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF MV CAPE BENAT VANCOUVER, B.C. - Transport Minister David Collenette today announced that the federal government has successfully prosecuted the MV Cape Benat, a Liberian-registered chemical tanker, for spilling canola oil in Vancouver Harbour. The pollution incident occurred while the vessel was loading canola crude oil at Vanterm, in the Port of Vancouver, on November 23 and 24, 1999. The MV Cape Benat is owned by the Cape Benat Navigation Company of Liberia and operated by Columbia Ship Management of Cyprus. The vessel was charged with unlawfully discharging a noxious liquid substance into Canadian waters, a violation of the Canada Shipping Act. The British Columbia Provincial Court imposed a $60,000 penalty on the vessel owner, the Cape Benat Navigation Company. This included a fine of $10,000 and a payment of $50,000 for local Canadian Wildlife Services projects. Under the polluter pays provisions of the Canada Shipping Act, the owner was also required to pay $125,000 to the Canadian Coast Guard to cover cleanup costs. "Transport Canada is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible commercial marine operations," said Mr. Collenette. "Pollution prosecutions such as this demonstrate to the international marine community that the costs for illegally discharging in Canadian waters are significant." On November 24, 1999, Transport Canada and Environment Canada began investigating an oily substance detected alongside Vanterm and in other areas in Vancouver Harbour. Over 200 tonnes of crude canola oil were reported unaccounted for after the MV Cape Benat was loaded at Vanterm and the vessel was identified as a potential source of the pollution. The vessel was charged under the Canada Shipping Act and, on September 29, 2003, the vessel owner entered a guilty plea to the charge of illegally discharging a noxious substance. "Transport Canada will continue to prosecute marine pollution offenders, and to seek higher fines from the courts under the Canada Shipping Act, as a deterrent against future occurrences of ship source pollution in our waters," added Mr. Collenette. Transport Canada has made considerable progress in promoting safe and environmentally sound shipping practices in Canadian waters. The Department works in close cooperation with other federal agencies, such as Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, the Department of National Defence and Justice Canada, as well as with other national and international partners, in order to reduce the occurrence of ship source marine pollution in Canadian waters. -30- Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
