Owners of ship that crashed Baltimore’s Key Bridge to pay $102M fine

The proprietor and relation of the vessel that brought down Baltimore’s Key Bridge agreed to pay a $102 cardinal fine, national authorities announced Thursday.

Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited were sued by the feds successful September for $103.08 million and rapidly agreed to the $101.98 cardinal settlement.

“This is simply a tremendous result that afloat compensates the United States for the costs it incurred successful responding to this catastrophe and holds the proprietor and relation of the Dali accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton.

Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, some based successful Singapore, were successful complaint of the Dali erstwhile it slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge connected March 26, sidesplitting six radical and sending the full span collapsing into the water.

The resulting clean-up effort took months, and gathering a caller span is expected to instrumentality years. The wreckage besides blocked a large introduction and exit constituent for the Port of Baltimore.

“This solution ensures that the costs of the national government’s cleanup efforts successful the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer.

While the feds handled the clean-up effort, rebuilding the span volition autumn to the authorities of Maryland, which owned, maintained and operated the archetypal structure.

Maryland filed its ain suit against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine successful precocious September, seeking monetary damages to screen the costs of replacing the bridge.