A tugboat pilot on May 24 pleaded guilty in a federal court in allowing a barge to drift off course and spill thousands of gallons of fuel oil into a bay off the Massachusetts coast in 2003.

Franklin R. Hill, 53, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Clean Water Act and one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for his role in the April 2003 spill.

The tugboat was pulling a barge into the Cape Cod Canal when it veered off course. The tug and barge - carrying more than 4.1 million gallons of fuel oil - hit a rock outcropping, which ripped a 12-foot hole in the bottom of the barge and ruptured one of its 10 oil tanks.

The spill killed hundreds of birds and shut down shellfish beds, affecting nearly 90 miles of coastline in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Sentencing was set for Sept. 21. Hill faces up to 18 months in prison on the two charges, as well as up to a year of supervised release and a fine.

Source: Marinelink.com 05/25/05