NORFOLK,
Va. — An operator of a ship scrapping company has been sentenced to a year in
prison for federal environmental violations.
Fifty-six-year-old
Steven E. Avery of Bohannon was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Norfolk.
His
brother, 81-year-old Billy J. Avery of Virginia Beach, received five years'
probation. Both were fined $25,000.
Their
company, Sea Solutions Inc., was barred from further engaging in the ship
scrapping business.
According
to court documents, Sea Solutions bought the M/V Snow Bird in February 2010 and
planned to scrap it. The defendants knew petroleum products and other
pollutants were onboard the vessel. But they didn't remove the pollutants
before beginning scrapping operations.
A major
spill of oil and other pollutants occurred in the Elizabeth River in October
2010.
Source: The Republic. 13 July 2012
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/1dfe9cf938604e85b3956b8b06cb801e/VA--Scrapping-Sentence
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