Ship's pilot indicted in spill

SAN FRANCISCO, April 22 (UPI) -- The pilot of a container ship that smashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge spilling 50,000 gallons of fuel has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

John Joseph Cota, who was at the helm of the 65,000-ton Cosco Busan when the accident happened Nov. 7, 2007, is accused of lying to the U.S. Coast Guard concerning his medications and medical conditions in 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Justice Department said. The false statements pertained to annual physical exams required for ship pilots to maintain their licenses.

The indictment supersedes and includes earlier charges brought under the Clean Water Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The spill caused the death of about 2,000 migratory birds, including protected species.

Cota also is accused of failing to pilot a collision-free course as he headed out of port on a foggy night and not adequately reviewing the proposed course with the captain and crew on official navigational charts. He also didn't use the ship's radar as he approached the bridge, failed to maintain a safe speed with limited visibility and didn't take other safety measures, the indictment alleges.