A Florida woman has pled guilty in federal district court to violating the Clean Water Act by discharging a harmful quantity of oil into U.S. waters. Liza R. Hash, 48, of Inglis, Florida, owned and operated the S/V JULIET, an 88-foot sailing vessel used for scuba diving excursions between Miami and the Bahamas.
On June 16, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard officers boarded the S/V JULIET after its return from the Bahamas and observed an oil sheen coming from the vessel. A safety examination revealed oily water in the bilge and an electric pump connected to a grey water tank that discharged overboard without treatment. Hash admitted to using this setup to dispose of oil-contaminated bilge waste into U.S. waters.
Investigations estimated that approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water had been illegally discharged over five years. This waste should have been properly disposed of at shore-side facilities.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2025. Hash faces up to three years in prison and a possible fine of $250,000.
The guilty plea was announced by Hayden P. O’Byrne, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kristopher Martel from the Environmental Protection Agency’s criminal enforcement program in Florida.
O’Byrne praised the efforts of several agencies involved in the investigation including the United States Coast Guard Sector Miami Investigating Officers and others. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case.
Further information can be found on websites for both the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida under case number 25-cr-20007.