U.S. COURT DISMISSES LAWSUIT OVER SINGLE-HULL BARGES
A court has dismissed claims by Maritrans Corp. that 37 of the company’s
single-hull oil barges were "taken" without compensation as a result of the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990.
OPA-90 requires a shift to double-hull barges by companies hauling oil in
U.S. waters. The law requires existing single-hull barges to be phased out by 2015.
Maritrans, which carries coastwise shipments of oil, claimed the rule
violates the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., ruled that because
Maritrans is still using the barges during the phase-out period, the company hasn’t
suffered the economic damage needed to justify its lawsuit.