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Oil scandal in the port of Bremen: Police investigate ship accidents!
There were several police operations in the port of Bremen due to water pollution and shipping accidents. Investigations are ongoing.
Oil scandal in the port of Bremen: Police investigate ship accidents!
The Bremen water police were on duty several times in the port area and on the Weser on Thursday, September 11th. The day began with water pollution in the grain harbor area, where an area of around 600 square meters was affected by an unknown source. Oil barriers were laid out by the fire department and the contaminated water was skimmed off. The water authority was also on site, but fortunately shipping traffic was unaffected. There is currently no clear information as to the origin of the damage and investigations are ongoing. This type of water pollution falls under the criminal offense according to Section 324 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the deliberate or negligent use of substances in waters if this endangers the water quality, such as rechtsanwalt-erhard.de explains.
The second deployment of the water police was caused by an inland waterway vessel that rammed a slipway near the Lemwerder ferry pier. There was little damage to property and fortunately there were no injuries. Nevertheless, administrative offense proceedings were initiated against the skipper, the cause of which was determined to be a driving error.
Additional chaos on the Weser
Another accident occurred at the Martini pier in downtown Bremen. There, too, a barge collided with the stern of another ship. Here too, there was no property damage and there were no injuries. The police have filed an administrative offense report against the skipper and investigations into these incidents are ongoing.
Sensitivity to environmental violations, particularly with regard to water pollution, has increased in recent years. This is evident not least in the comprehensive investigations into the incidents in the port of Bremen. According to the Ecologic Institute, there was a decrease in environmental crimes in Germany from 2010 to 2020, but the number of water pollution remains a serious issue. In 2020, they accounted for 12% of all recorded environmental crimes, while the clearance rate for such illegal acts ranged between 56% and 62%, indicating that the authorities are continuously trying to prosecute and punish such serious violations, as ecologic.eu documented.
The impact of a conviction for water pollution can be significant. In addition to relevant fines or prison sentences, high fines and claims for damages can also be expected for those responsible. Companies and individuals caught up in such scandals can face complex legal proceedings. The particular problem often lies in providing evidence, which must be supported by expert reports.
In view of the incidents, it is clear that the emerging ecological challenges and the associated legal measures are also currently in focus in Bremen. With these challenges, environmental crime is being taken increasingly seriously and authorities are committed to emphasizing sustainable and clean water supplies.