Owner and operator of ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse settle case for $102 million

The owner and operator of a cargo ship that caused a Baltimore bridge collapse in March has agreed to pay nearly $102 million to settle a civil lawsuit with the Department of Justice, the DOJ announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse killed six construction workers and snarled shipping and traffic in one of the busiest ports in the U.S., blocking full access to the Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel until June.

The big picture: The Justice Department last month brought the lawsuit against Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Dali ship owner, and Synergy Marine Private Limited, its operator, to recoup costs the U.S. government has spent responding to and cleaning up the disaster.

• Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said in a statement the early settlement “ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
• The City of Baltimore has also filed a claim against the two companies, alleging negligence.

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