MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company' press office confirmed acceptance of a proposal to jointly fund a settlement with claimants relating to the 2021 Orange County pipeline oil spill. Terms of a formal settlement are still being negotiated and once reached will have to be approved by the Court.
In a statement announcing the settlement, MSC's press office said it looks forward to demonstrating in the continuing legal proceedings that the responsibility for the 2021 oil spill remains the responsibility of Amplify, the pipeline owner, who already has plead guilty.
According to MSC, expert analysis and reconstruction of key events which led up to the oil spill determined that the MSC DANIT maneuvered in a reasonable and prudent manner despite adverse weather and intense marine traffic in January 2021, when it is believed that the pipeline was first damaged. Moreover, the MSC DANIT took appropriate actions while at anchor and maintained constant communication with the U.S. Coast Guard and port authorities off the coast of California.
Despite Amplify's guilty plea to federal charges and settlement with the State of California for its role in the discharge, the MSC press office said the company agreed to jointly fund a settlement for the claimants in order to move forward in a constructive and positive manner following this incident.