American Samoa EPA calls on feds to include the territory in future enforcement actions

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government has called on the U.S Justice Department (USDOJ) not to “exclude ASG from future enforcement action” and to keep the territory in mind when and if there are negations involving violations of federal law in territorial waters, says American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency director Fa’amao Asalele, in a comment letter submitted to USDOJ last month.

The Dec. 24 comment-letter was in response to USDOJ’s request for public comments on the proposed consent decree reached late last year between the federal government and defendants — San Diego-based JM Fisheries LLC, G.S. Fisheries Inc., the companies’ manager, and the chief engineer of the commercial fishing vessel Capt. Vincent Gann.

As previously reported by Samoa News, the defendants — under the proposed consent decree — agreed to pay a total of $725,000 in civil penalties to settle federal Clean Water Act claims related to oil pollution violations by the vessel.

The companies and their manager also agreed to perform corrective measures to prevent future Clean Water Act violations. The Federal government alleged in the complaint that on April 20, 2018, the defendants discharged oil and oily mixtures from the fishing vessel Capt. Vincent Gann’s engine room bilge into Pago Pago Harbor while performing repairs on the vessel.

Read more: https://www.samoanews.com/local-news/epa-calls-feds-include-territory-future-enforcement-actions