Erika (tanker)
Encyclopedia
Erika was the name of a tanker
built in 1975 and last chartered by Total-Fina-Elf
. She sank off the coast of France
in 1999, causing a major environmental disaster.
. Despite having 10% less steel than many other tankers of similar size, Erika was very popular amongst shipping companies because of its relative inexpensiveness.
and with a heavy cargo of around 20,000 tons of fuel oil.
As she entered the Bay of Biscay
, the Erika ran into a heavy storm. On December 12, 1999, she broke in two and sank, releasing thousands of tons of oil into the sea, killing marine life and polluting shores around Brittany
, France
. It is considered the greatest environmental disaster to ever hit the country.
Fifteen individuals and corporations are now on trial for her sinking, including Total, Giuseppe Savarese the Italian
owner of the Erika, his manager Antonio Pollara and captain of the vessel Karun Mathur.
According to the official inquiry by the Dunkerque Tribunal, the Principal Shareholder of Tevere Shipping is Giuseppe Savarese, owner of the Erika since 1996. Savarese lives in London and was personally responsible for finance, administration, legal, commercial, hull and machinery insurance and P&I insurance matters.
The Erika's technical and maritime management company was Panaship, a Ravenna-based corporation incorporated in 1997. The Pollara and Vitiello families each own 50 percent. The company did not employ a specialist in naval architecture or vessel strength which is typical for such companies. With regards to maintenance, Panaship defined the scope and nature of maintenance work in addition to creating and evaluating calls for bids for such work. All decisions were submitted to Giuseppe Savarese. Erika's was registered under a Maltese flag of convenience
. The Classification Society for classed the Erika was RINA or the Foundation Registro Italiano Navale ed Aeronautica, based in Genova. Malta like most Flag States delegates compliance with International Safety Management Code of International Maritime Organization to Classification Societies such as RINA. RINA issued all safety certificates for the Erika.
List of Certificates issued for the Erika by RINA:
Total said that the classification society, Registro Italiano Navale
had reported that the tanker was in good condition, and that it routinely requires certificates of good condition for vessels more than 20 years old.
The accident triggered new EU-legislation as regard to transport by sea.
On January 16, 2008, Total SA, Giuseppe Savarese (the shipowner), Antonio Pollara (the handler) and Rina (the expert company) were sentenced in solidum to pay indemnities of 192 millions € (280 MUSD), plus individual penalties. The judgement, while recognizing the risks inherent to oceangoing vessels, reckons Total SA was "guilty of imprudence", from the fact that Total SA did not take into account "the age of the ship", (nearly 25 years), and "the discontinuity of its technical handling and maintenance".
On March 30, 2010, Total SA lost their appeal to overturn the court's decision.
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
built in 1975 and last chartered by Total-Fina-Elf
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
. She sank off the coast of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1999, causing a major environmental disaster.
Background
Erika was one of eight sister ships built in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Despite having 10% less steel than many other tankers of similar size, Erika was very popular amongst shipping companies because of its relative inexpensiveness.
Sinking
On December 8, 1999, she sailed out of Dunkerque, bound for LivornoLivorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
and with a heavy cargo of around 20,000 tons of fuel oil.
As she entered the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, the Erika ran into a heavy storm. On December 12, 1999, she broke in two and sank, releasing thousands of tons of oil into the sea, killing marine life and polluting shores around Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is considered the greatest environmental disaster to ever hit the country.
Fifteen individuals and corporations are now on trial for her sinking, including Total, Giuseppe Savarese the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
owner of the Erika, his manager Antonio Pollara and captain of the vessel Karun Mathur.
According to the official inquiry by the Dunkerque Tribunal, the Principal Shareholder of Tevere Shipping is Giuseppe Savarese, owner of the Erika since 1996. Savarese lives in London and was personally responsible for finance, administration, legal, commercial, hull and machinery insurance and P&I insurance matters.
The Erika's technical and maritime management company was Panaship, a Ravenna-based corporation incorporated in 1997. The Pollara and Vitiello families each own 50 percent. The company did not employ a specialist in naval architecture or vessel strength which is typical for such companies. With regards to maintenance, Panaship defined the scope and nature of maintenance work in addition to creating and evaluating calls for bids for such work. All decisions were submitted to Giuseppe Savarese. Erika's was registered under a Maltese flag of convenience
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
. The Classification Society for classed the Erika was RINA or the Foundation Registro Italiano Navale ed Aeronautica, based in Genova. Malta like most Flag States delegates compliance with International Safety Management Code of International Maritime Organization to Classification Societies such as RINA. RINA issued all safety certificates for the Erika.
List of Certificates issued for the Erika by RINA:
- International Load Line Certificate - Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
- Safety Construction Certificate - Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
- International Pollution Certificate - Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
- Safety Equipment Certificate - Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 14, 2000
- Radio Certificate - Dated November 23, 1999 valid until March 31, 2000
Total said that the classification society, Registro Italiano Navale
Registro Italiano Navale
"For over 140 years at the service of the shipping and industrial world."RINA was founded in Genoa in 1861 under the name REGISTRO ITALIANO NAVALE, by the "Associazione della Mutua Assicurazione Marittima" [established in Genoa in 1857 by ship managers and shipowners , to cover risks related to...
had reported that the tanker was in good condition, and that it routinely requires certificates of good condition for vessels more than 20 years old.
The accident triggered new EU-legislation as regard to transport by sea.
On January 16, 2008, Total SA, Giuseppe Savarese (the shipowner), Antonio Pollara (the handler) and Rina (the expert company) were sentenced in solidum to pay indemnities of 192 millions € (280 MUSD), plus individual penalties. The judgement, while recognizing the risks inherent to oceangoing vessels, reckons Total SA was "guilty of imprudence", from the fact that Total SA did not take into account "the age of the ship", (nearly 25 years), and "the discontinuity of its technical handling and maintenance".
On March 30, 2010, Total SA lost their appeal to overturn the court's decision.
External links
- Report of the Enquiry into the Sinking of the Erika off the coasts of Brittany on 12 December 1999 - Bureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de MerBureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de MerBureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de Mer is the French agency that investigates accidents and incidents of ships....
- Rapport d’enquête sur le naufrage de l’ERIKA - Bureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de MerBureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de MerBureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de Mer is the French agency that investigates accidents and incidents of ships....
- Report - Total SA
- Ministry of the Environment (Archived on web.archive.orgInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Dossier of the Ministry of Defense (Archived on web.archive.orgInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Erika trial, Paris 2007
- judgement Erika (in french) january 16, 2008
- slides of Erika by her crew few hours before sinking
- GMDSS Transmissions
- Chronology
- Erika trial appeal - Paris october 5th -november 18th 2009
- appeal ruling (in french), march 30, 2010