The city of Los Angeles has sued the owners and all other parties associated with the car carrier ‘Istra Ace’, which caused an extensive oil spill in the Port of LA back in 2016, covering more than 70 acres that took over two weeks to clean. The USCG investigation onboard revealed faulty piping that allowed oil to leak from the starboard side of the ship.
As such, a lawsuit by LA Superior Court on 20 April, indicates the vessel’s owner, Istra Maritime, operator Stamco Ship Management, as well as the charterer, Mitsui OSK Lines, as liable for the spill under the state Fish and Game Code.
The incident was first reported on 13 March in the port’s Cerritos channel at Berth 198. According to the suit, a worker on another barge fueling the ‘Istra Ace’ saw at that time a sheen on the water near berth 197, which proved to be oil covering more than 70 acres in the north basin of the port. The spill was estimated to be about 265 barrels of oil, but the state Department of Fish and Wildlife claimed the leak to be of greater magnitude.
As a result from the incident, the US Coast Guard had then issued a safety zone restricting recreational and commercial vessel traffic for several days in the affected area.
The owner and operator encounter several additional civil suits by private citizens, including a yacht owner who alleges damage of its vessel as a result from the spill.
