Rowan Pleads Guilty to US Pollutiion Charges

US drilling contractor Rowan Companies has pleaded guilty to three felony counts of environmental violations at one of its US drilling oil rigs.

The company pleaded guilty to discharging a a pollutant, abrasive sandblast media into the ocean at its Rowan-Midland rig. It also pleaded guilty to failing to report the discharge of waste hydraulic oil into the sea and dumping garbage near the rig.

Employees who worked at the Rowan Midland rig from 2002-2004 also entered individual pleas in connection with this investigation, the company says.

As part of the plea agreement with the United States District Court, Rowan will be subject to unsupervised probation for two years, during which time it must not commit any further criminal violations.

Rowan says it is working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Coast Guard on a pilot program to develop and implement best practices for sandblasting and painting of its offshore drilling oil rigs.

By Ozge Ibrahim