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Cosco Busan owners lose ruling on spill damage

Posted by: Maven on February 5, 2010 at 3:45 pm

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

“A new federal court ruling could make the owners of the Cosco Busan solely responsible for the damage to waters, wildlife and commerce caused in 2007 when the ship slammed into the Bay Bridge and spilled 53,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay.

Vessel owners, required by state law to hire licensed pilots to navigate the bay, are also bound by another California law that makes them liable for any harm caused by the pilot’s negligence, U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti said in a Jan. 27 ruling.

The case involved a dispute more than $315,000 in legal defense costs for the pilot, Capt. John Cota, who pleaded guilty to federal pollution charges and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. But the law Conti upheld also applies to multiple lawsuits for damage caused by the Cosco Busan. … “

Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

February 5, 2010 · Filed Under Bay Area

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