Companies Settle Baltimore Bridge Case for $102M

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Facts

  • Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Private Ltd., the owner and the operator, respectively, of the ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge last March, have agreed to pay $102M to settle a federal civil claim.[1][2][3]
  • This comes as the US Justice Department sued the companies after the crash that left six men dead, claiming that the electrical and mechanical systems of the Dali weren't maintained properly.[2][4]
  • The fine for cleanup costs will be collected by the US Treasury and other affected federal agencies. The settlement announced on Thursday doesn't include damages for rebuilding the bridge, an effort that could cost close to $2B.[2][5][6]
  • The state of Maryland has filed its own suit against the companies for the cost of the bridge and the cleanup, as well as environmental claims. Any money Maryland collects will go toward reducing project costs paid by federal tax dollars.[1][7]
  • The Fort McHenry Shipping Channel into the Port of Baltimore was fully reopened to ship traffic on June 10 after nearly three months of clean-up operations following the collision. Replacing the bridge, however, is expected to take years.[7][8]

Sources: [1]United States Department of Justice, [2]Associated Press, [3]New York Times, [4]Wsj, [5]NBC, [6]BBC News, [7]USA Today and [8]Maryland Matters.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The Baltimore Banner. The companies responsible for the Dali were guilty of gross negligence, particularly when it came to the electrical systems of the ship. This settlement will go a long way to making sure taxpayers aren't footing the bill for the damage these companies caused. Further litigation against the companies will hopefully do more to hold them accountable and send a message throughout the shipping industry to do better.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Route Fifty. Regardless of what was specifically happening with the operation and maintenance of the Dali, the government is going to need to do more to prepare for cargo ships that are growing larger every year. Protecting infrastructure and streamlining the process for rebuilding it must be near the top of the government's priorities list.

Predictions