Operators of vessels that destroyed Baltimore Key Bridge to pay $102Million:DOJ

The settlement resolves damages rooting from federal reply.

The operators of the vessel that destroyed Baltimore Key Bridge in March have agreed to pay almost $102 million for costs stemming from federal reply the Department of Justice revealed Thursday.

Under the settlement the operators and owner of Dali vessel the Singaporean corporation Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited will pay $101,980,000 to resolve claims brought against them by Justice Department in September the federal prosecutors added.

According to cost estimates provided by Maryland government the bridge reconstruction will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, Shailen Bhatt administrator for Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration said in May.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

A report released by agency in May found that the Dali experienced two power blackouts while docked 10 hours before collision that topped part of bridge span.

The settlement does not consist of damages related to reconstruction of the bridge which was owned by state of Maryland the DOJ said.

Attorney have filed a claim for those damages on behalf of the state. DOj said.

The civil probe is separate from ongoing criminal investigation by department into events that led to vessels collision with bridge.

The container ship Dali struck one of the piers on Key Bridge early on morning of March 26 causing bridge to collapse and Killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on span.

Two workers survived the incident.

The crash affected entry into Port of Baltimore for weeks as debris blocked entry for other ships.

Local agencies, state and Dozens of federal responded to remove 50,000 tons of concrete, steel and asphalt from channel and from the Dali the DOJ said.

Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer called the incident one of the worst transportation disasters in latest memory and said the settlement comes over one month into litigation.

“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the US for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the Dali accountable”

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton head of Justice Department Civil Division add in statement.

The settlement resolves the US claims for civil damages under the Rivers and Harbors Act Oil Pollution act and general maritime law with the settlement funds going to US Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies direct affected by Allison or involved in response the DOJ said in press release.

“This resolution ensures that costs of federal government cleanup efforts in Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”