Baltimore bridge mishap ship's owner will pay $102 million for cleanup

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The owner and manager of a cargo ship involved in a deadly bridge collapse near Baltimore have agreed to pay US$102 million for cleanup expenses, settling a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Justice Department.

This agreement addresses only the immediate cleanup costs, leaving the estimated $2 billion reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge unresolved. The state of Maryland has filed a separate claim for bridge repair and related damages.

The Justice Department's lawsuit, filed in September, sought to recover cleanup expenses from Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group, both headquartered in Singapore.

The claim stated that due to inadequate maintenance, the electrical and mechanical systems on the ship, the Dali, failed, causing it to lose power, veer off course, and ultimately strike a support column on the bridge. The incident led to the deaths of six road crew workers, who fell when the bridge gave way under their feet during an overnight shift.

Following the collapse, intensive cleanup efforts began, as thousands of tons of mangled steel and shattered concrete blocked the Patapsco River's Fort McHenry Channel, a critical East Coast shipping route. The Dali, trapped amid the bridge debris, became a symbol of the disaster, with twisted steel girders draped over its damaged bow. The channel remained partially closed for almost two months, stalling commercial traffic through the busy Port of Baltimore, which handles high volumes of vehicle and farm equipment shipments.

The Justice Department's statement on the settlement emphasized that the cleanup costs would be covered by Grace Ocean and Synergy, not U.S. taxpayers. "This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government's cleanup efforts...are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy," said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer.

The settlement agreement was reached just days after FBI agents boarded the Dali as part of a criminal investigation into the events leading up to the collapse. According to the Justice Department's civil complaint, multiple safety oversights contributed to the accident. The ship's crew, facing "excessive vibrations" a well-documented precursor to transformer and electrical issues reportedly made only temporary fixes instead of addressing the root cause.

Compounding the problem, cracked engine room equipment and loose cargo were noted, leading an independent safety agency to halt electrical testing due to unsafe conditions.

Court records indicate that both parties reached a settlement agreement and requested the dismissal of the Justice Department's $103 million claim, the largest in what is expected to be a historic liability case. Numerous claims remain pending from affected businesses, families of the victims, and local agencies impacted by the accident. Grace Ocean and Synergy have filed a petition to limit their financial liability in these claims.

The collapse has deeply affected the community, especially local longshoremen who faced lost wages while the Port of Baltimore's operations were disrupted. The Port is among the busiest in the country, playing a crucial role in the East Coast's commercial shipping network. The channel's closure, until it fully reopened in June, caused a significant bottleneck, impacting supply chains across the region.

The Justice Department's lawsuit, combined with Maryland's additional claims, underscores the potential scale of liability faced by the companies involved. This high-profile case reminds us of the costly consequences of safety lapses in critical transportation infrastructure.