​Whistleblowers in the Engine Department of the cargo ship Iorana passed a note to the US Coast Guard when their ship arrived in Baltimore, Maryland.  

The note reported that the ship’s chief engineer had directed the dumping of waste oil overboard through a bypass hose that circumvented pollution prevention equipment required by law.  “We are asking help to any authorities concerned about this, because we must protect our environment and our marine lives," they wrote.

During a Coast Guard inspection trigged by the note, the whistleblowers also passed along photographs taken on a crew member’s cell phone showing the use of a 103-foot long “magic hose” to bypass the ship’s oily water separator.

​The illicit bypass system used to discharge oily waste, including sludge, was routed through the ship’s boiler blow down system where any trace of oil could be expected to be steam cleaned away. The illegal discharges were concealed in a fraudulent oil record book, a required log in which all overboard discharges are to be recorded.

Irika Shipping S.A., the owner of the Greek flagged cargo ship Iorana, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2010, and agreed to pay a $4 million dollar fine.   

The four crew members that notified authorities were awarded $125,000 each under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships which provides that whistleblowers may receive an award of up to one-half of fines collected under that statute.

Whistleblower note. Source: US Department of Justice.

Creative Ways to pass Notes
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to the US Coast Guard
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Whistleblowers have found creative ways to reach out to inspectors with the US Coastguard. ​
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Nothing seemed amiss aboard the Maltese cargo ship Aquarosa when Chief Warrant Officer William D. Dodson and his Coast Guard inspection team climbed the gangway," the New York Times reported on Feb 13, 2012.  "That sense of normalcy evaporated after the chief engineer led the way below for tests of the rudder and fire pump. There, a crew member named Salvador Lopez nervously tugged a note from his pocket and thrust it toward Mr. Dodson. He had something to share, the note read. A secret.

"Mr. Lopez’s secret was that the ship had been illegally dumping oily water and sludge overboard, and he had proof: hundreds of photographs stored on his phone. Partly because of Mr. Lopez’s evidence, two companies that owned and operated the ship pleaded guilty last month to obstruction of justice and other charges and agreed to pay $1.2 million each in penalties and fines.  And for his sleuthing, Mr. Lopez stands to collect as much as $925,000."

In another case, a crew member approached a minister with the Mariner’s Church in Baltimore and gave her a portable hard drive with photos and video showing illegal dumping. ​
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Rev. Mary H. T. Davisson, the executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, a port ministry that assists and counsels docked ship crews, was approached by a member of the crew of the Capitola in May 2010.  The ship had docked to pick up coal.  "He handed her a computer flash drive containing a video of a magic pipe," reports the New York Times. "Ms. Davisson gave the drive to the Coast Guard. In early 2011, the Liberian company that owned the ship agreed to pay $2.4 million in fines."

Other whistleblowers have sent notes asking Marine Defenders via email and social media for help connecting with US Coast Guard investigators before their ship arrive in US ports.

"Good day ..im .i pilipino seaman work as a fitter, im almost 2 month on board..on tanker ship.. 3 week ago i found same illegal..oil dichrging..on this ship..2 week s before arrive ing USA ..land.. please help what cant i do...i ask .what hapin to me in also may carry as seaman ...what to do?...god bless MARINE DEFENDERS."   
​-- Anonymous Whistleblower note sent to Marine Defenders via Facebook.

Whistleblower note. Source: US Department of Justice.

"Protect our mother earth":  Mv Cornelia

On Oct 13, 2015, a group of concerned mariners aboard the M/V Cornelia, sent a note via Marine Defender's social media account that quickly reached investigators with the US Coast Guard:
 
“…halo sir this is concern crew sending you some evidence of illegal Pumping out dirty oil directly overboard instructed by our Chief engineer…  This Report About Our Concern to Sea Environment and were concern Crew onboard to our Sea Environment and Protect our Mother Earth…. During Navigation Chief Engineer Instructed to Pump Out even we are near in the Land Specially when we been in Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean… Some Pictures, Videos and their/his Hand Written Letters for some evidence.”
 
As a result, Coast Guard investigators met the ship to conduct an investigation when it arrived at the Port of Duluth, Minnesota.  During this inspection, the crew members were able to provide the investigators with documentation, and less than a year later, the ship’s owner, MST Mineralien Schiffahrt, pled guilty to a felony for discharging oily waste into the Great Lakes and was fined $2.7 million dollars.  

The investigation also revealed that on at least ten occasions, the M/V Cornelia’s Chief Engineer and/or Second Engineer had instructed members of the engine room crew to transfer machinery space bilge water from the dirty bilge tank to the clean bilge tank, which is a separate tank that is supposed to contain only clean, oil-free water, and then discharge the oily waste-water overboard.  ​​
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The Chief Engineer also intentionally failed to record the transfers and subsequent discharges of oily waste-water in the M/V Cornelia’s Oil Record Book. This gave the false impression in the Oil Record Book that all of the oily waste-water had been properly handled and disposed.

​During the “Whistleblower” award hearing, US government lawyers explained that “the purpose of APPS’s whistleblower award is to elicit information about violations that can be difficult to discover and prosecute; the award is intended to incentivize coming forward with information despite the risks involved.” ​
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They also noted that the two Whistleblowers had “provided significant information to the authorities that led directly to the charge to which MST ultimately pleaded guilty, and questions whether the violations would have ever come to light had these two not stepped forward.” 
 
The Whistleblowers were awarded $102,000.