Brian Nearing is reporting at Capitol Confidential the state Department of Environmental Conservation is charging the operators of a 538-foot ship from the Marshall Islands with dumping oil in the Hudson River at Rensselaer on Fri., Apr. 22, Earth Day. The South Wind transports scrap metal around the world. The ship's captain told DEC Environmental Conservation Officers the spill was caused by a backup of pressure in the ship's waste oil tanks. Crew members collected the spilled oil and at least 20 gallons was discharged directly into the river. The captain and owner of the ship were issued violations, including failure to contain waste oil, unlawful disposal of used oil, and failure to report an oil spill. The oil dissipated before the spills response team could contain it. According to the DEC, the oil dump had a minimal environmental impact. The incident remains under investigation. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.