Superyacht Owner Fined 1.2 Million Dollars for Illegal Dumping of Toxic Waste in Protected Marine Sanctuary
LOS ANGELES, August 23, 2024 (Reuters) — A 120-million-dollar superyacht named Azure Dream was impounded by the United States Coast Guard Wednesday evening after authorities discovered its crew had discharged over 500 gallons of untreated bilge water and chemical solvents directly into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the vessel’s owner, a Swiss billionaire hedge fund manager, faces a 1.2 million dollar fine and potential felony charges under the Clean Water Act. The Coast Guard reported that routine inspection of the 85-metre vessel at Santa Barbara Harbor revealed a hidden bypass valve designed to circumvent the onboard water treatment system. Environmental Protection Agency officials say the toxic cocktail has been linked to the deaths of at least twelve sea otters and multiple seabird colonies in the protected area over the past three months. The superyacht will remain in federal custody pending a court hearing scheduled for next week. The owner, who has not been formally identified by authorities, has retained legal counsel from a prominent white-collar defense firm in New York.