Who was sanctioned, and for what?

Between 2019 and 2021, untreated sewage, sewage residues, diesel from a generator and waste entered a stream and the sea around Faversham and Whitstable; the circumstances of one incident were not reported to the Environment Agency, around 70 fish died, and bathing warnings were in place at beaches in Tankerton and Herne Bay for almost a week. The court imposed a fine of 2,416,666.67 GBP, 69,894.04 GBP in costs and a 190 GBP victim surcharge; it was the company's second conviction that year (announcement of 22 September 2026, exact date of judgment not stated). According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2026, the company had around 3,109 employees.

Authority / court

Bromley Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 12(1)(b) und 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Repeat case

yes

Published

22 Sep 2026

Original amount 2,486,750.71 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

In June 2022, a gear oil tank overflowed at the steelworks in Sault Ste. Marie; an estimated 1,000 to 1,250 litres of oil entered the St. Marys River, harmful to fish and migratory birds. The company pleaded guilty to two counts and is paying 1.2 million CAD into the Environmental Damages Fund; its name is listed in the Environmental Offenders Registry.

Authority / court

Ontario Court of Justice, Sault Ste. Marie (Ermittlungen: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Fisheries Act, Subsection 36(3); Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, Subsection 5.1(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Steel and metals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

11 Sep 2026

Original amount 1,200,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Following a partial pipe collapse at the Fleetwood wastewater treatment works, untreated sewage flowed from three pumping stations into the Irish Sea for over 35 hours in June 2023; seven bathing waters were affected and shellfish beds were closed. The water company pleaded guilty to five offences and must pay a fine of 900,000 GBP, 62,225 GBP in costs and a 2,000 GBP victim surcharge. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2026, the company had around 6,678 full-time equivalent employees.

Authority / court

Preston Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulation 38(2) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Around 38 million GBP invested in response and repair, and a voluntary payment of 250,000 GBP to Blackpool Council.

Published

8 Sep 2026

Original amount 964,225 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

At the Ladden Garden Village construction site in Yate, a subcontractor washed silt from the site drainage into two brooks over six days in July 2022. The Environment Agency accepted an Enforcement Undertaking: BDW is paying 201,500 GBP to three environmental and charitable projects, bears the investigation costs and had already invested over 180,000 GBP in remediation, training and improved surface water management. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 5,217 employees.

Authority / court

Environment Agency

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 (Enforcement Undertaking)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Mitigating circumstances

Acceptance of responsibility, remediation, training of employees and application for a discharge permit.

Published

3 Sep 2026

Original amount 201,500 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 3 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

On board the MSC Samira III, oily bilge water was pumped overboard via the sewage tank, bypassing the oily water separator, in 2024/2025; the oil content monitoring was manipulated and the oil record book, which was presented to the Coast Guard in Philadelphia, was falsified. The operator and the owner each pleaded guilty to two counts under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and are paying a combined 1.75 million USD; in addition, there are four years of probation.

Authority / court

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Anklage: DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), 33 U.S.C. § 1908

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Employees

10,000 or more

Culpability

intentional

Published

28 Aug 2026

Original amount 1,750,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

The Supreme Court of New South Wales, on application by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC, Australia's corporate, markets and financial services regulator), imposed penalties totalling 7.3 million AUD on the fund manager: 2.3 million AUD for misleading statements (s 12DF ASIC Act) and 5 million AUD for breaching its duty of care and diligence as responsible entity (s 601FC(1)(b) Corporations Act). Between October 2019 and May 2024 the Diversified Social Aspirations Fund, marketed as socially responsible, held through underlying funds interests in companies that derived revenue from fossil fuels, among others, even though the product documents promised certain exclusions and ongoing monitoring; the company did not respond to investor concerns by amending its statements.

Authority / court

Supreme Court of New South Wales (auf Antrag der Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

ASIC Act 2001 (Cth) s 12DF (Geldbuße nach s 12GBB); Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 601FC(1)(b) (Geldbuße nach s 1317G)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Culpability

negligent

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

Admissions, cooperation throughout the proceedings and contrition; since the proceedings began, an independent review of the product documents; no previous court findings.

Liability of senior managers

According to the agreed facts, senior management was involved (the company's then Executive Chair and Head of Investments).

Published

12 Aug 2026

Original amount 7,300,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Oberlandesgericht (OLG, Higher Regional Court) Linz added a forfeiture of 375,000 EUR to the conviction of a limited company under the Verbandsverantwortlichkeitsgesetz (VbVG, Austrian Corporate Criminal Liability Act) for intentionally handling and moving waste in a way that endangered the environment; the suspended corporate fine of 30 daily rates of 500 EUR (15,000 EUR) imposed by the Landesgericht (Regional Court) Salzburg remained in place. From May 2021 to May 2024 and again from May 2025 to February 2026, contrary to the AWG 2002 (Waste Management Act) and partly to an official decision, the company had excavated soil, construction waste, asphalt and concrete rubble accepted for payment and deposited on a plot; removal costs were put at around 3.24 million EUR. Only the forfeiture of EUR 375,000 is recorded as the amount; the corporate fine of EUR 15,000 was conditionally suspended.

Authority / court

Oberlandesgericht Linz (Berufung gegen Urteil des Landesgerichts Salzburg vom 06.03.2026)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

§ 181b Abs. 1 und 2 StGB; §§ 3, 4 Abs. 1 und 3, § 6 Abs. 1, § 14 Abs. 1 VbVG; § 20 Abs. 3 StGB; AWG 2002

Action

Disgorgement of profits

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Other

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

No previous convictions of the company; rather low environmental risk. Further circumstances taken into account by the court concern a natural person and are not reported here.

Liability of senior managers

Under the VbVG, the company's liability is linked to the conduct of its managing director.

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Canterbury Crown Court fined Southern Water £7,127,083 for 13 breaches of the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016, plus £149,000 in prosecution costs and a £181 victim surcharge. Between 2019 and 2021, failed pumps and poorly maintained equipment at the Margate and Broadstairs pumping stations led to several discharges of untreated sewage into the sea, some of which were reported only the next day or weeks later; beaches had to be closed. The company also admitted 35 further unlawful discharges from the same period.

Authority / court

Canterbury Crown Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Reg. 12(1)(b) und 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Repeat case

yes

Published

17 Jul 2026

Original amount 7,127,083 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The EPA, the US Department of Justice and West Virginia's environmental agency reached a settlement (consent decree) with Chemours over PFAS discharges into the Cape Fear, Delaware and Ohio rivers, some made without and some in breach of discharge permits, together with TSCA and RCRA violations at four plants. Chemours will pay a civil penalty of 22,500,000 USD in three annual instalments of 7,500,000 USD and carry out remedial measures, including drinking water supply, PFAS controls and a USD 90m mitigation programme, which the EPA puts at over USD 450m in total. The settlement was lodged with the court on 24 June 2026 and is subject to public comment and court approval. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / U.S. Department of Justice mit West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Clean Water Act (NPDES); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

not yet final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Mitigating circumstances

The civil penalty was set on the basis of the company's ability to pay.

Published

24 Jun 2026

Original amount 22,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The EPA (Region 6) issued a Consent Agreement and Final Order against Denka Performance Elastomer over RCRA violations at its neoprene plant in LaPlace (Louisiana): missing waste determinations, breaches of land disposal restrictions and treatment and storage of hazardous waste without a permit. Denka will pay 996,703.35 USD and must clean out a brine pit and its ancillary equipment; if the currently idle plant resumes operations, further requirements apply, including on waste inventory, containers, training and protective equipment. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 6

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Docket RCRA-06-2025-0910

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Repeat case

yes

Published

2 Jul 2026

Original amount 996,703.35 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Økokrim (Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime) issued an industrial company producing silicon carbide with a penalty notice of NOK 18,000,000 for breaches of the Pollution Control Act (forurensningsloven) and for giving incorrect information to Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency). In Økokrim's view, the air emission measurements in 2021 were not representative because, among other things, production was lower during the measurement campaigns; this created a risk that considerably more of the carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene was emitted than permitted. The company has accepted the penalty notice.

Authority / court

Økokrim

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Forurensningsloven (Umweltschutzgesetz); falsche Angaben gegenüber Miljødirektoratet

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Culpability

intentional

Liability of senior managers

According to Økokrim, managers took the decisions on the non-representative measurements knowing that they would not reflect actual emissions.

Published

18 Jun 2026

Original amount 18,000,000 NOK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

Scotland's environmental regulator SEPA imposed two civil penalties of £35,000 each (£70,000 in total) on salmon processor Scottish Sea Farms. Two ice plants at the Gremista site in Lerwick (Shetland) contained fluorinated greenhouse gases above the threshold of 500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent but had no working leak detection system.

Authority / court

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015; Verordnung (EU) Nr. 517/2014

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The company has since brought the equipment into compliance.

Published

27 May 2026

Original amount 70,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In April 2026 China Harbour Engineering Company Limited was fined 78,000 HKD at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts (a Hong Kong magistrates' court) under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (Hong Kong's water pollution law) because the company had discharged waste or polluting matter into a water control zone on 14 July 2025; the prosecution was brought by the Environmental Protection Department (Hong Kong's environmental authority). It was the highest fine among the 40 environmental convictions the department published for April 2026.

Authority / court

Eastern Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Environmental Protection Department)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Water Pollution Control Ordinance (Einleitung von Abfall oder verunreinigenden Stoffen in eine water control zone)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

22 May 2026

Original amount 78,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Around 10,000 heavy-duty Volvo diesel engines from model years 2010 to 2016 used auxiliary emission control devices (AECDs) that were not disclosed during certification and emitted more NOx than permitted. The settlement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) comprises 17.5 million USD in penalties and costs, 71 million USD for mitigation measures and 108 million USD for emission reduction projects in California.

Authority / court

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Kalifornische Emissions- und Zertifizierungsvorschriften für schwere Nutzfahrzeugmotoren

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation during the investigation; recall and extended warranty for engines from model years 2014 to 2016.

Published

18 May 2026

Original amount 196,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

From May 2014 to May 2022, acidic effluent, effluent with elevated zinc, nickel or suspended solids content, and effluent that was acutely lethal to fish entered fish-bearing waters from the Mont-Wright mining complex and the Fire Lake mine in the Fermont region. The company pleaded guilty to 100 counts; the fine of 100 million CAD goes almost entirely to the Environmental Damages Fund, and an action plan on wastewater management must also be submitted by mid-February 2027.

Authority / court

Court of Québec (Ermittlungen: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Fisheries Act, Subsection 36(3)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Steel and metals

Published

15 May 2026

Original amount 100,000,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Pyrolysis oil leaked twice at the Lavéra petrochemical site in Martigues: around 50 tonnes in July 2018 through a failed seal into the Anse d'Auguette, part of which reached the sea, and around one tonne in April 2022 through a corroded seawater pipe, of which some 500 kg reached the Anse d'Auguette. Naphtachimie therefore concluded an environmental CJIP (convention judiciaire d'intérêt public, French deferred prosecution agreement) with the Marseille public prosecutor; it pays a public interest fine of 1,200,000 EUR, compensates two environmental associations and will trial, at its own expense, a biological clean-up of the Anse d'Auguette; validated on 13 May 2026.

Authority / court

Parquet de Marseille (Procureur de la République); Validierung durch den Präsidenten des Tribunal judiciaire de Marseille

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Art. 41-1-3 Code de procédure pénale (pollution des eaux)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Published

26 May 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The tanker M/T Sarah Desgagnés, operated by the company, entered the Akpait National Wildlife Area in Nunavut on 29 September and 6 October 2024 without the required access permit. The Nunavut Court of Justice imposed 40,000 CAD for the Environmental Damages Fund; the company must publish a notice in a local newspaper and is listed in the Environmental Offenders Registry.

Authority / court

Nunavut Court of Justice (Ermittlungen: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability

Legal basis

Wildlife Area Regulations (Canada Wildlife Act), Paragraph 3.3(1)(h)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Published

8 May 2026

Original amount 40,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In two incidents in July and August 2022 around 423,000 litres of untreated sewage escaped in Carramar because plant had not been properly maintained, affecting a residential property, a sports field, bushland and Prospect Creek. After a guilty plea, the Land and Environment Court convicted Sydney Water and imposed AUD 225,000 for breaching its environment protection licence and AUD 15,000 for failing without lawful excuse to provide CCTV footage requested by the EPA.

Authority / court

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA NSW) / Land and Environment Court of NSW

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Bedingungen der Environment Protection Licence; Pflicht zur Vorlage von Informationen und Unterlagen gegenüber der EPA NSW

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

25% discount for an early guilty plea.

Published

7 May 2026

Original amount 240,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From 2022 to 2025, the company exported containers of supposedly clean plastic that was in fact contaminated with electronic waste such as cables and circuit boards; in some cases, the waste was hidden at the back of the container, and further containers were shipped despite prohibition notices from August 2024. The company pleaded guilty and was fined 80,000 GBP; in addition, it was ordered to pay 45,000 GBP in costs and a 2,000 GBP surcharge. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 19 employees.

Authority / court

Preston Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Vorschriften zur grenzüberschreitenden Abfallverbringung (Notifizierung und Zustimmung); Verstoß gegen Untersagungsverfügungen

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Employees

Under 50

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

2 Apr 2026

Original amount 80,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 5 · Direct link

In June and July 2020 contractors of the state-owned forestry corporation felled six giant trees and three hollow-bearing trees in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest near Coffs Harbour that should have been retained under the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operation Approval. On the EPA’s prosecution, the Land and Environment Court convicted the corporation and found harm to koala habitat and cultural harm to the Gumbaynggirr people; following a restorative justice conference, the AUD 450,000 penalty goes to the Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation for remediation projects. The corporation must also commission an independent audit of its procedures and publish the conviction.

Authority / court

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA NSW) / Land and Environment Court of NSW

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Coastal Integrated Forestry Operation Approval (NSW)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Public sector

Repeat case

yes

Published

16 Mar 2026

Original amount 450,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Openbaar Ministerie (OM, Dutch Public Prosecution Service) imposed penalty orders totalling 1,125,000 EUR on four companies from Barneveld that belonged to the same group at the time and are not named in the releases, consisting of 660,000 EUR in fines and 465,000 EUR in confiscation of unlawfully obtained gains. According to the OM, between 2013 and 2016 the firms accepted excessively contaminated sand, cleaned it inadequately or incorrectly and deliberately mixed it with cleaner sand for reuse, in breach of permit conditions and the Wet milieubeheer (Environmental Management Act) and involving forgery. The companies initially lodged an objection (verzet) but withdrew it, so the penalty orders are final (release of 2 July 2026).

Authority / court

Openbaar Ministerie (OM), Functioneel Parket

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Vorschriften der Umgebungsgenehmigungen (omgevingsvergunningen); Wet milieubeheer; valsheid in geschrift; Strafbefehle des OM

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Other

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

The companies have adapted or ceased their activities, and measures have been taken within the group.

Published

10 Mar 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Between October 2018 and August 2019, untreated sewage entered a brook in Pools Brook Country Park on three occasions – due to a burst rising main, a blockage caused by wet wipes and a failing pipe coupling; during the first incident, fish died in the park lake. Yorkshire Water had already pleaded guilty in January 2024 and had not attended any of the interviews; the court imposed a fine of 733,333 GBP plus costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2026, the company had around 4,481 employees.

Authority / court

Derby Crown Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 12(1)(b) und 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Culpability

negligent

Repeat case

yes

Published

23 Feb 2026

Original amount 733,333 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

Chevalier (Construction) was fined HKD 80,000 in January 2026 because on 23 February 2025 the company carried out prescribed construction work in breach of the conditions of its construction noise permit. It was the heaviest single fine among the 34 convictions reported by the Environmental Protection Department for January 2026.

Authority / court

Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Environmental Protection Department)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Noise Control Ordinance (Bauarbeiten entgegen den Bedingungen einer Construction Noise Permit)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

23 Feb 2026

Original amount 80,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Clarence Colliery Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Centennial Coal Company, was sentenced by the Land and Environment Court of NSW after pleading guilty to five offences under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, after untreated mine water with elevated nickel and zinc levels from the coal mine near Lithgow entered the Wollangambe River in December 2023 and April 2024. The offences comprised two water pollution offences, a licence breach, non-compliance with a prevention notice and a pollution incident response plan that had not been tested for 269 days. The court imposed fines totalling 543,500 AUD and ordered 86,500 AUD for rehabilitation of Long Swamp; in addition, the EPA's legal and investigation costs of 170,000 AUD and 15,548 AUD are payable.

Authority / court

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA NSW)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) s 120(1) (zwei Fälle), s 64(1), s 97(1), s 153E; Zahlungsanordnung nach s 250(1)(e)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Repeat case

yes

Mitigating circumstances

Early guilty pleas (25% discount).

Published

23 Feb 2026

Original amount 543,500 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Environment Agency accepted an enforcement undertaking from Severn Trent Water under which the company pays £1,500,000 to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, covers the agency's costs and commits to remedial action. It concerns two unauthorised sewage discharges from the Blackminster treatment works near Evesham into Broadway Brook on 12 June and 20 August 2022 and a breach of permit conditions.

Authority / court

Environment Agency

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Reg. 38(1) und 38(2) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010/2016

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Energy and utilities

Original amount 1,500,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

A routine inspection in 2023 found that the company was selling eyeliners containing the PFAS substance perfluorononyl dimethicone without submitting the required notification of a ‘significant new activity’; a subsequent compliance order was not complied with. The court imposed 750,000 CAD; the company must inform its shareholders and is listed in the Environmental Offenders Registry.

Authority / court

Ontario Court of Justice (Ermittlungen: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (Significant New Activity, Compliance Order)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Published

2 Feb 2026

Original amount 750,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 13 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In 2019, as a result of an equipment defect, sodium chlorite entered the Rivière du Lièvre twelve times from the ERCO Mondial chemical plant in Gatineau; in the last incident, the authorities were only informed after five days. The company was fined 1.35 million CAD.

Authority / court

Court of Québec (Ermittlungen: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Fisheries Act (Einbringen schädlicher Stoffe; unterlassene sofortige Meldung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Published

8 Jan 2026

Original amount 1,350,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

The Environment Agency accepted an enforcement undertaking from Perenco UK: the company pays £401,447 to five local organisations (£60,000, £30,000, £200,547, £10,000 and £100,900), covers the agency's costs and commits to remedial measures. The underlying offence was a breach of a permit condition: an inadequately maintained oil pipe at the Wytch Farm site had corroded, and on 23 March 2023 crude oil or reservoir fluid escaped into Ower Bay in Poole Harbour. According to the agency, the overall package amounts to around £6.1m, including response and clean-up costs and £620,000 paid to affected parties.

Authority / court

Environment Agency

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Reg. 38(2) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010/2016; Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

Substantial costs already incurred for response and clean-up, and measures taken to prevent a recurrence (the agency's reasons for accepting the offer).

Published

13 Mar 2026

Original amount 401,447 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Dec 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The metal recycler in Val-des-Sources had received an environmental protection compliance order to dispose of and destroy PCB-contaminated equipment. At a follow-up inspection in May 2024, the equipment was still on the site; the company pleaded guilty under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) and was fined 40,000 CAD.

Authority / court

Court of Québec (Anklage: Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Published

18 Dec 2025

Original amount 40,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Dec 2025.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

On appeal by the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (Federation of German Consumer Organisations), the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court) prohibited Eurowings from advertising a €9 CO2 offset during online booking in a way that makes customers believe they travel climate-neutrally; it was not mentioned that other climate-damaging emissions are not offset. By contrast, the court did not consider the 'Sustainable Aviation Fuel' advertising misleading; it did not grant leave to appeal on points of law.

Authority / court

Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 20. Zivilsenat

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

UWG (irreführende Werbung); Az. I-20 U 38/25

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Published

5 Dec 2025

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In a second consent decree, Lowe's Home Centers undertakes to pay a civil penalty of allegedly 12,500,000 USD and to introduce a company-wide programme so that the installation firms it hires work lead-safely in homes built before 1978. The EPA had found breaches of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule on more than 250 renovation jobs in 23 states, mostly from 2019 to 2021, such as missing certified renovators, missing customer information and inadequate dust containment, as well as breaches of a 2014 settlement. The settlement was lodged with the court on 25 November 2025. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. District Court, Central District of California)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule; Consent Decree von 2014

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Employees

10,000 or more

Repeat case

yes

Published

25 Nov 2025

Original amount 12,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Nov 2025.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In July 2021, a blockage in the foul sewer at the Moodiesburn plant (collagen casings for sausages) caused untreated industrial wastewater to back up into the surface water system, polluting the Bothlin Burn with ammonia and organic load. The company pleaded guilty on 11 November 2025; on 24 March 2026, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reported a fine of 48,000 GBP plus a 3,600 GBP victim surcharge. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 316 employees.

Authority / court

Airdrie Sheriff Court (Ermittlungen: SEPA, Anklage: Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 4 und 44(1)(a) Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011; Section 20(3)(a) Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

250 to 999

Published

24 Mar 2026

Original amount 51,600 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Nov 2025.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

The Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) imposed a penalty of 142,757,565 SEK on the airline Braathens International Airways because it had not surrendered emission allowances for 99,707 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from 2024 by the deadline of 30 September 2025. The inflation-adjusted penalty amounts to 129.69 EUR per tonne (12,930,939 EUR) and does not release the company from the obligation to surrender allowances; the company had been declared bankrupt on 30 September 2025. A separate penalty was imposed on its sister company Braathens Regional Airways AB.

Authority / court

Naturvårdsverket

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

10 kap. 5 § förordningen (2020:1180) om vissa utsläpp av växthusgaser; 16 § 3 lagen om vissa utsläpp av växthusgaser; Art. 12 Abs. 3 Richtlinie 2003/87/EG (EU-Emissionshandel)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Mitigating circumstances

None: EU rules allow no exception from the surrender obligation regardless of the company's financial situation.

Published

10 Nov 2025

Original amount 142,757,565 SEK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Nov 2025.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The Attorney General's office accused the US arm of the meat group JBS of publicly advertising a "net zero by 2040" goal without a viable plan to achieve it. After a first lawsuit had been dismissed without prejudice in January 2025, the parties concluded an Assurance of Discontinuance: JBS USA pays 1.1 million USD to a climate-smart agriculture programme (expressly not a fine), changes its environmental marketing and reports annually for three years. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

Office of the New York State Attorney General

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

New York General Business Law §§ 349, 350; Executive Law § 63(12), § 63(15)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

3 Nov 2025

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Following a loss of steam in April 2019, the ethylene plant in Fife flared for almost a week; the smoke significantly exceeded permit limits, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) received over 900 complaints. Existing procedures and emergency plans should have prevented the incident but were not adequately followed. The company pleaded guilty and was fined 176,000 GBP.

Authority / court

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court (Ermittlungen: Scottish Environment Protection Agency, SEPA)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulation 67(1)(b) Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012; Section 2 Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Culpability

negligent

Published

28 Oct 2025

Original amount 176,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Oct 2025.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In an action brought by Greenpeace France, Les Amis de la Terre and Notre Affaire à Tous, the Paris Judicial Court (Tribunal judiciaire de Paris, 34th chamber) found that TotalEnergies had advertised on totalenergies.fr with the goal of ‘carbon neutrality by 2050’ and its role as a player in the energy transition without disclosing that oil and gas production continues to be expanded – a misleading commercial practice. The court ordered the communication to cease, damages to be paid to the associations and the operative part of the judgment to be published on the website (RG 22/02955); claims relating to gas and agrofuels were dismissed.

Authority / court

Tribunal judiciaire de Paris (34. Kammer)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims

Legal basis

Art. L121-1 ff. Code de la consommation (Umsetzung der Richtlinie 2005/29/EG)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

23 Oct 2025

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In March 2024, cattle slurry ran from the dairy farm's lagoons into a stream, seriously damaging it over more than 2 km, with effects up to 4.5 km downstream. The court imposed a fine of 6,000 GBP (reduced from 9,000 GBP because of an early guilty plea) and 10,158.50 GBP in costs; the Environment Agency described the incident as avoidable. The company is a micro-enterprise with fewer than 10 employees.

Authority / court

Taunton Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Regulations 12(1)(b) und 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

Under 50

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Early guilty plea (fine reduced from 9,000 to 6,000 GBP).

Published

13 Oct 2025

Original amount 16,158.5 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Oct 2025.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

The Environment Agency accepted an enforcement undertaking from Imerys Minerals: the company pays £430,000 to Westcountry Rivers Trust and covers the agency's costs. Between September 2021 and July 2023, china clay effluent had been discharged without a permit at six sites in Cornwall.

Authority / court

Environment Agency

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Reg. 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010/2016

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Other

Original amount 430,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Sep 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In 2020 the company rented two acres of land in Essa Township, presented to the owners as a site for receiving wood to be turned into landscaping material; from April to August 2020, however, hundreds of truckloads of construction and demolition waste were dumped there, and by April 2023 there was still no confirmation that the ordered clean-up had taken place. The court convicted the company under the Environmental Protection Act of depositing waste at an unapproved site and fined it CAD 500,000 plus a victim fine surcharge of CAD 125,000. Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

Gericht in Barrie (Ermittlung und Anklage: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Environmental Protection Act (Ontario), RSO 1990, c E.19 – Ablagerung von Abfällen auf einem nicht zugelassenen Abfallstandort

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

11 Feb 2026

Original amount 500,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Aug 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

On board the tanker M/T Swift Winchester, a hose connected the incinerator's waste oil tank to the sewage tank from February to August 2022, so that oily waste bypassed the pollution prevention equipment and went into the sea; in August 2022, an oily water separator filter was also hosed down with degreaser on deck and the oily mixture ran overboard. The vessel called at Baton Rouge and Port Arthur with a knowingly falsified oil record book. The ship management company pleaded guilty and is paying a fine of 2 million USD.

Authority / court

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Anklage: DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Culpability

intentional

Published

27 Aug 2025

Original amount 2,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Aug 2025.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link