Ship manager fined for breach of US sulphur emissions regulations

International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has confirmed a ship management company has been fined more than US$25,000 in connection with a breach of clean air regulations in the US. ITIC said an inspector of the California Air Resources Board, the clean air agency of the state of California, boarded a ship in July 2011 at a terminal in Los Angeles. The chief engineer was asked if he was aware of the revised 2009 California clean air regulations which required vessels to switch main engine, auxiliary engines and auxiliary boilers to low-sulphur fuel when in California-regulated waters. The chief engineer said he was only aware of the requirement to switch auxiliary engines to low-sulphur fuel in accordance with regulations effective from 1 January, 2007.