Settlement Funds to Cover Federal Costs for Restoring Access to the Port of Baltimore
On October 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Grace Ocean Private Limited, a shipowner based in Singapore, and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the vessel management company, agreed to pay $100.98 million to resolve the civil claims brought by the United States. These claims arose from the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The settlement resolves claims under the Rivers and Harbors Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law, which amounted to $100,307,856. The funds will be allocated to the U.S. Treasury and various federal agencies involved in the response to the incident.
(Text by Hiro Yamamoto)
Photo courtesy=The Justice Department, Seamen’s Church Institute
■Comment from Acting Assistant Attorney General
“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
■Comment from the Head of the DOJ’s Civil Division, added:
“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”
According to the Department of Justice, the incident occurred in the early morning of March 26, 2024. The DALI departed the Port of Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka when its engines shut down while navigating the Fort McHenry Channel. Although the engines briefly restarted, they failed again, causing the vessel to collide with the bridge.
The collision led to the collapse of the bridge, tragically killing six people trapped beneath it as it fell into the river. Debris from the collapsed bridge and the wrecked ship blocked the navigable waterway, effectively halting all access to the Port of Baltimore. The bridge was not only a critical piece of transportation infrastructure but also a vital commuter route for the local community.
The federal government led a large-scale response involving federal, state, and local agencies, including the removal of 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt. While clearing the wreckage, the U.S. established a temporary waterway to alleviate the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic impact. By June 10, 2024, the Fort McHenry Channel was cleared, allowing commercial navigation at the Port of Baltimore to resume.
On September 18, 2024, the DOJ filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Grace Ocean and Synergy, seeking more than $100 million in damages. The shipowner and management company initially filed a petition to limit or avoid their liability to $43.7 million soon after the incident. However, the final settlement includes additional obligations, such as Grace Ocean’s payment of $97,294 to the Coast Guard’s National Pollution Funds Center.
The settlement does not cover damages related to the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Since the bridge was owned and operated by the State of Maryland, state authorities are pursuing compensation for rebuilding costs separately. Any recovered funds from the reconstruction will first offset federal contributions to the project, in accordance with applicable regulations.
The resolution of this civil case was handled by the Department of Justice’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section, in collaboration with attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
〆米司法省、フランシス・スコット・キー橋を破壊した船舶の所有者および運航会社との1億ドル超の民事訴訟で和解
和解金はボルチモア港へのアクセス回復にかかる連邦政府の費用を賄う予定
米司法省は２０２４年１０月２４日、シンガポールに拠点を置く船主「グレース・オーシャン・プライベート・リミテッド」と船舶管理会社「シナジー・マリン・プライベート・リミテッド」が、米国による民事請求を解決するために1億198万ドルを支払うことで合意したと発表した。この請求は、フランシス・スコット・キー橋の壊滅的な崩壊に対応するために発生した費用を求めたものである。
今回の和解により、河川港湾法、石油汚染法、および一般海事法に基づく1億307万8,056ドルの損害賠償請求が解決される。和解金は米国財務省、今回の事故や対応に関与した複数の連邦機関の予算に充てられる予定である。
(Text by Hiro Yamamoto)
Photo courtesy=The Justice Department
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