Pollution fines will pay for coastal work

ATLANTIC CITY - The federal government is handing out more than $1.5 million from pollution fines assessed against shipping companies that will fund 19 ocean or shoreline projects in New Jersey.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Coast Guard announced the funding Monday, saying it came from fines against a trio of shipping companies that pleaded guilty to violating a federal law against intentionally discharging oil, sludge, or bilge water into the ocean. The fines were assessed against Clipper Marine Services of Denmark, Holy House Shipping AB of Sweden, and Dalnave Navigation Inc. of Liberia.

The money will go for removing 170 tons of marine trash, restoring wetlands, removing rotting piers, and conserving bird, fish, and shellfish populations.

"The intentional discharge of oil from vessels releases millions of gallons of oil into navigable waters," said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. "It is particularly gratifying to be a part of a process that takes money from those who knowingly damage the environment and gives it to those who work to heal it." - AP