Japan’s CSL Maritime has been fined $500,000 for covering up oil dumping offthe US.

The company was also placed on probation for three years after pleadingguilty in March to two charges of violating the act to prevent pollutionfrom ships.

CSL owned and operated the 76,000-dwt FD Jacques Graubart (built 2008), whicharrived at the port of New Orleans in January.

It admitted that on two occasions in December 2011, crews pumped oily bilgewater into the sea without using the required pollution prevention equipment.

The