BATON ROUGE — A Norweigan shipping company was fined $2 million after admitting that one of its vessels discharged oily bilge water and oily waste in 2022 and didn't account for the mishaps in its records.

V.Ships Norway A.S. was accused of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. 

“The illegal discharge of bilge water and oily waste from vessels poses a significant threat to our waters and marine life," Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis of Baton Rouge said Wednesday.

According to the U.S. government, the crew of the Motor Tanker Swift Winchester "took pains" to hide the discharges. Prosecutors say that for a six-month period in 2022, the crew bypassed required pollution prevention equipment. A member of the engine room crew later disclosed the discharges and provided photos and videos, prosecutors said.

The Swift Winchester entered Baton Rouge on Aug. 25, 2022, and Port Arthur, Texas, two weeks later with falsified books, the government said.