Press Release  MassDEP Fines Trawler Capt. Carl, LLC for Discharge of Oiled Bilge Water to New Bedford Harbor

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $10,465 penalty to Trawler Capt. Carl, LLC of New Bern, North Carolina, for discharging oiled bilge water to the surface water of New Bedford Harbor near 4 Washington Street in Fairhaven. MassDEP’s surface water discharge regulations prohibit unpermitted discharges which are not incidental to the normal operation of a vessel.

On May 5, 2022, MassDEP responded to the report of an oil spill in New Bedford Harbor off Fairhaven. Because a responsible party was not forthcoming, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a publicly funded cleanup. Later investigation of Trawler Capt. Carl’s commercial fishing vessel in the immediate vicinity of the spill revealed a pronounced “bathtub ring” of oil within the vessel bilge, indicating that the oiled bilge water had recently been pumped out. The vessel captain could not adequately explain the presence of the bathtub ring or provided documentation that the bilge water had been disposed of properly. Subsequent Coast Guard sampling found the spilled oil matched the vessel’s oil.

“It is imperative that vessels in Massachusetts waters comply with the Commonwealth’s environmental laws designed to prevent degradation of water quality,” said Millie Garcia Serrano, director of MassDEP’s Southeast Regional Office in Lakeville. “Especially in historically burdened areas of the state such as New Bedford Harbor, operators of water-related facilities play a vital role in maintaining the positive progress of improved water quality and public confidence in this common resource.”

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

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