FUEL OIL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1926, Page 11

FUEL OIL

DISCHARGE INTO HARBOUR

BILL FOR PREVENTION.

A Bill intended to prevent tho discharge of oil from ships or storage tanks into tho sea within the territorial limits of Now Zealand has been introduced by the Minister of Marine (Hon. G. J. Anderson). It provides for a penalty of £.£>oo on summary conviction of the master of any vessel, or owner or occupier of land from which oil is permitted to escape, though it will be a good defenco if tho master of a ship proves that the escape was duo to collision or other accident to the vessel. . A continuing penalty of £500 per day is also included in the penal clause. In order to enforce tho judgment, a Magistrate may order tho detention of a ship pending tho provision of security. Masters of ships from overseas carrying oil will bo required to give 12 hours' notification to the harbourmas-. ter in advance of their arrival in port, and to send a similar notice to the harbourmasters of any other ports which aro visited in New Zealand, the penalty for neglect of this provision being £50.- ■ The Magistrate is empowered on the applictit-^ i of the Prosecutor to order the whuic or any part of a fine imposed for permitting the escape of oil into territorial waters to be applied towards meeting the expenses of its removal.