WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Two members of the crew of cargo vessel Rena, which spilled oil off New Zealand's coast, face seven years in prison for altering documents, authorities said.
As much as 2,000 barrels of oil leaked from the cargo ship Rena after it struck a reef in the Bay of Plenty in October. There is a noticeable crack on the ship's starboard side and salvage teams with Maritime New Zealand struggled to get oil out of a submerged fuel tank during rough seas.
MNZ arrested two of members of the Rena's crew almost immediately after the initial accident. The ship's master and second officer, whose names are withheld, face charges of "willfully attempting to pervert the course of justice" by altering the ship's documents before it struck the reef Oct. 5.
Both crewmembers already face charges related to "discharge of harmful substances." The new charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
MNZ said last month that salvage teams had finally stopped pumping operations from a submerged starboard fuel tank after their pumps started extracting seawater instead of oil from the ship.
The vessel is still stranded and MNZ has since moved to extracting cargo containers from the Rena.
