Owner, operator of ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse to pay $100M in settlement with US

WASHINGTON — The owner and manager of the cargo ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse have agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department, officials said Thursday.

The settlement comes a month after the Justice Department sued Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group, both of Singapore, seeking to recover more than $100 million that the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port.

“This resolution 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,” Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said in a statement.

The Justice Department alleged that the electrical and mechanical systems on the ship, the Dali, were improperly maintained, causing it to lose power and veer off course before striking a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

The collapse snarled commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months before the channel was fully opened in June.