Highlights
- MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. clears $630,625 in penalties
- The company was fined for violation of At-Berth regulation at the Port of Oakland
- At-Berth Regulation was adopted in 2007, designed to reduce emissions from diesel auxiliary engines
A shipping company guilty of violating At-Berth regulation at the port of Oakland has paid $630,625 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board.
Violation of Regulations
The MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. was ordered to pay $630,625 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board for violating the Ocean-Going Vessel At-Berth regulation.
The violations were discovered during a routine audit of the company’s 2014 visits to the Port of Oakland and the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The investigation by CARB revealed more than 2,500 violations for both the Oakland and LA/LB fleets for failing to reduce auxiliary engine power generation by at least 50% and for exceeding limits for auxiliary engine run time as required by the At-Berth regulations.
At-Berth regulation
The At-Berth Regulation was adopted in 2007, designed to reduce emissions from diesel auxiliary engines on container ships, passenger ships, and refrigerated-cargo ships while berthing at a California port. Vessel operators can either turn off auxiliary engines and connect to grid-based shore power, or use alternative technologies to achieve equivalent emission reductions while in port.
The regulation ultimately requires a fleet operator to reduce at-berth oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from its vessels’ auxiliary engines in port by at least 80% by 2020.
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Source: Green Car Congress
