The pilot of a ship that spilled thousands of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay in November was charged by federal prosecutors Monday with criminal negligence and breaking environmental laws.

Capt. John Cota faces as much as 18 months in jail and more than $100,000 in fines if convicted of the misdemeanor charges, including harming migrant birds protected by the government and violating the Clean Water Act. Cota was not taken into custody, according to court papers.

He was at the helm of the container ship Cosco Busan when it struck a fender protecting a support tower beneath the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on its way to South Korea on Nov. 7. The ship emptied 53,000 gallons of oil into the fragile bay, killing thousands of birds and closing more than a dozen beaches.

The “criminal information” filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco accuses Cota of failing to safely guide the container ship safely through the bay. Specifically, the government says Cota failed to use the ship’s radar as he approached the Bay Bridge; failed to adequately review the proposed course with the captain; and failed to use navigational aids that might have helped him avoid disaster.

“These failures led to the Cosco Busan striking the bridge and spilling the oil,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Read Full Story Here