quote:

It didn't say "U.S. Coast Guard officer pleads guilty of enviromental laws for dumping bilge waste into honolulu harbor."

And why didn't it ??? If it left a sheen it would have been the Masters/COs responsibility to report to the CG the discharge of anything that leaves a sheen. It took a anonymous tip to report the fact that the discharge was being made. Someone up the food chain was negligent in fulfilling their requirements.

Why the conspiracy thoughts, it all has to do with the perceived trust and credibility in the Coast Guard. On the commercial side if a tankerman or towboat operator did something like that, you people would be all over them and out for blood. When it concerns the CG it appears to be a different standard imposed. Nope, simply a matter of long term sepparation from that agency and no longer having any trust in the actions of that agency.

We don't know what the initial charges were ... it said the guilty plea was a plea bargain arrangement. Maybe the DA was towed in by the guys one time, who knows?

quote:

Originally posted by SociallyAutistic:
We don't know what the initial charges were ... it said the guilty plea was a plea bargain arrangement. Maybe the DA was towed in by the guys one time, who knows?

The initial 'investigation' was regarding the alleged dumping of many gallons of bilge oil into the Honolulu harbor. The 'charges' arose when the MPA's story didn't match. He changed it up or missed something when reiterating his story. That is why he got in trouble.

I don't know if anything has ever, or will ever, come to head about the alleged dumping of oil.

I must admit I have dumped bilge oil into many harbors over many years of my career.

Yep, I'd saunter onto the messdeck, or into the Chiefs' Mess, or into the Wardroom and pour me a big old, sloppy, greasy, oily cup of shipboard coffee and walk out to the rail with a cigarette.

Then I'd take a big ol' pull off that smoke and a sip or six of that mud.

Then I'd fling that oily waste into the water. Why, I'd even throw my cigarette butt in on top of it. Once, In Boston Harbor, I thought the whole harbor might go up...




sindbad percolates

Maybe it was ooops turned the wrong valve. This happened more then once. Of course the guy was probably trying to cover his or some one's back side. I don't condone lying to anyone but we all know at one point or another we have done it for one reason or another.

If memory serves me there was a discussion about this, two years ago, when it was first brought to light.

The article notes that CGUS initiated the investigation; I will creep out on the limb here, bough saw in hand, and suggest that more suspects/charges are pending... Hopefully those who "ordered" the system bypassed and pumping will be brought forward.

Scapegoat? Fall Guy? Sacrificial Lamb? When I am asked if I have ever lied before my answer would be Never under oath; once upon a time I was interviewed by Federal Agents about a business transaction I was party to. Despite a non-diclosure agreement I made I answered all their questions truthfully. I didn't try to obfuscate the truth or mislead them; there wasn't a gun at my head making me say anything either. He may be the greatest ENG in the service but unfortunately he made a wrong choice during the investigation. Whatever reasons he had they were wrong. Just my opinion.

Facts:

1- MPA (ENG2-4)in charge of MP under the supervision of the EO (LCDR).

2- The MP personel were using a sandpiper to pump dirty bilge water and oil to the E/R deep sink.

3- From the deepsink the MP personel were then draining the hazwaste into the graywater tank and then OVBD.

4- At some piont in time the MPA walked down to the E/R, saw what was going on and did the "hands in the air...I didn't see it lalala." Tirned around and left, hoping and thinking that nothing would come of it.

5- Something came of it. When the MP personel were questioned by investgators after finding out of the OVBD discharge of waste oil into the harbor they threw the MPA under the bus, so to speak.

6- When the MPA was asked about the events he lied to investigators saying that he didn't know what they were refering to.

7- Two things got the MPA in trouble. One, he didn't do anything the first time he saw it happening, and two he lied when asked about it.

The reason no-one else (CO/XO/EO) is going to jail is because they could claim plausable deniability. They were'nt there! Trust me the rest of the command is going to get letters from this.

The whole thing was avoidable and unfortunate!!

You know what really stinks about his? Not to excuse the MPA but lets get real for a minute. Lets say the ship was passing through the harbor and he did it. Who would fry? The CO? EO? Tied to the pier, only the members are accountable?

A boat is pushed to it's limits on in the middle of the night and during a winter storm. CO leaves the bridge. Boot ensign puts the boat aground. CO takes the rap. All I see here is, if your going to screw up, doing while the lines are not tied to the pier. Just gotta wonder if the CO of this cutter is going to get some kind of hand slapping or is he/she off scott free?

Not a good situation at all for the MPA, but my second thought on this was:

Anonymous tipster = crapped on E3 who probably worked for him and got the last laugh.

And the moral of the story is: if you use a sandpiper to pump bilge water, it WILL aerate the damn oil, and it will go briefly into suspension long enough to make it over the side and screw ya'.

heck when i was in kodiak on the sherman we dumped 12k jet fuel into the harbor and as far as i can remember nobody got thier wee wee whapped.

spent quite a few hours throwin diapers and picking them up from the MSB.

later

cliff

quote:

Originally posted by tc1uscg:
You know what really stinks about his? Not to excuse the MPA but lets get real for a minute. Lets say the ship was passing through the harbor and he did it. Who would fry? The CO? EO? Tied to the pier, only the members are accountable?

A boat is pushed to it's limits on in the middle of the night and during a winter storm. CO leaves the bridge. Boot ensign puts the boat aground. CO takes the rap. All I see here is, if your going to screw up, doing while the lines are not tied to the pier. Just gotta wonder if the CO of this cutter is going to get some kind of hand slapping or is he/she off scott free?

I wondered the same thing. I would imagine the CO and EO are going to have something happen to them. Even if its a punitive letter, not that they deserve it, but that usually how these turn out. In all reality the E/R is the EO's responsibility and the ship is the CO's. Sucks the MPA had to lie about it.