DOJ Launches Inspections of Dali as Ship Prepares to Sail for China

The now infamous containership ship Dali is preparing to depart the United States nearly six months after her allision that knocked down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge. Before the vessel departs, the U.S. Department of Justice informed the courts that it will “perform inspections and testing” on the Dali while other legal wrangling also continues.

DOJ in a letter to the District Court judge in Maryland says that it is taking the action along with other claimants and prospective claimants. The testing is starting today, September 5, and may run through September 14, but DOJ did not describe the nature of the tests and inspections that it was planning. The NTSB previously performed an extensive investigation of the vessel as well as the FBI and U.S. Coast Guard.

Experts are suggesting that this could indicate DOJ will be seeking court claims which could involve the recovery costs of clearing the Baltimore channel and/or the cost of replacing the bridge. Maryland last month awarded a $73 million contract to construction company Kiewit for the first phase of the replacement project which has ultimately been projected to cost between $1.6 to $1.8 billion. A new bridge will be in place by 2028.

Dali completed offloading all the containers aboard the vessel in Norfolk, Virginia late last month. The filing reports that the vessel is targeting September 17 for its departure bound for China. DOJ is working to complete its inspections before the vessel departs for international waters but says it will inform the court if any issues arise.

Currently, the court has a September 24 deadline for the filing of claims. An email however seen by the Baltimore Sun states that the cargo owners are asking the court to extend the deadline to January 24. According to the newspaper, the cargo owners are arguing that the boxes are still in transit and may not reach the owners before the September deadline. The Baltimore Sun reports the cargo aboard at the time of the incident was valued at approximately $42 million.

The legal wrangling is expected to continue while at the same time, other efforts are also looking to increase the potential liability of the vessel’s owners Grace Ocean and manager Synergy Marine of Singapore. Last month, a bill was introduced in Congress seeking to change the liability laws. It proposes increasing the liability for foreign-flagged ships to ten times the value of the vessel and its cargo, minus expenses. There are other efforts underway to change or exempt the Dali from the existing law, the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 which the owners invoked in the weeks after the disaster while the salvage was still underway.

Other claims have also been filed including on behalf of the City of Baltimore. Businesses in Baltimore are also seeking claims for interference with their operations and lost revenues in the wake of the bridge collapse.