Increase in pollution fines
July 27, 2004
Eleven company directors were personally fined up to £20,000 for pollution incidents last year, about four times as many as five years ago, according to Government figures.
The Environment Agency's sixth annual report on the environmental performance of companies in England and Wales said fines for company directors increased on average by £2,000 last year from £3,058 in 2002 to £5,019 in 2003.
As well as personal fines, 23 environmental criminals were served community punishment orders, four times the number handed down in 2001 and nearly 10 times as many as five years ago. More than seven custodial sentences were handed out for environmental crime.
The Agency prosecuted a total of 266 companies last year, resulting in fines of more than £2.2m. The average fine for businesses fell from £8,622 to £8,422 but was still higher than in 2000 or 2001.
As in previous years, a significant number of high street names were taken to court, such as Ford Motor Company, which was fined £42,000. There were repeat offenders in a number of sectors, including water.
But Barbara Young, Environment Agency chief executive, said many companies were trying to minimise environmental impact. Michael Roberts, director of business environment at the CBI, the employers' body, said companies spent £4bn a year to comply with environmental legislation.
This story originally appeared on the Financial Times' website.
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