Georgia County Can Move Forward With Shipwreck Oil Spill Claims

Several companies must face some claims stemming from a massive shipwreck that polluted nearby Glynn County, Ga., with oil, a federal court ruled.

The claims can proceed under the Oil Pollution Act, despite overlapping state claims, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the US District Court for the Southern District of Georgia said.

The M/V Golden Ray was carrying about 4,300 vehicles and 300,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel when it capsized at St. Simons Sound in September 2019—the largest shipwreck in the coastal US in decades.

Glynn County sued vessel defendants Hyundai Glovis Co., which managed the ship; GL NV24 ...