U.S. FINES TERMINAL OPERATOR FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING

August 25, 2008

Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Inc. has been fined $240,000 for paying a vessel master to illegally dump 160 tons of potash at sea, the Justice Department announced.

The company, which is based in Louisiana and runs a bulk terminal vessel loading facility in Portland, Ore., admitted to violating the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, known as the Ocean Dumping Act.

Kinder paid a vessel master $1,250 in August 2003 to dump the off-specification potash into the ocean.

Justice said that in August 2007 it located the now-retired master of the J/A Aladdin Dream II in Japan. He had logbooks and was able to tell the Interpol investigator exactly where the crew dumped the potash.

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