The first-degree trial over PFAS contamination of the aquifer in east-central Veneto closed with the conviction of Miteni’s managers. This verdict of the Court of Assize of Vicenza, delivered on June 26th, reads 141 years in prison for 11 managers (and acquittal for four). All of the Trissino chemical plant, which between 2009 and 2018 (the year of bankruptcy) was managed by Luxembourg-based Icig and previously by Mitsubishi (from 1988 to 1996 with EniChem and from 1996 to 2009 directly). The same ruling provides compensation of €500,000 for Acque del Chiampo, which has invested €37 million since 2013 to date to combat PFAS pollution. “This judgment clearly didn’t accept the arguments of those responsible”, comments Marco Tonellotto, Acque del Chiampo defense counsel in the trial as a plaintiff. “The defendants aimed to attribute the pollution to the Chiampo Valley industrial system. The allocation of responsibility is clear and unequivocal”.
Miteni’s managers convicted
The regional environmental protection agency (ARPAV) pointed to Miteni as the source of PFAS (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) pollution back in 2013. The trial in the Berica court lasted four years, it ended with convictions (141 years of imprisonment for 11 defendants), which was around the same as the prosecutor demanded (121 years and 6 months for 13 defendants). “Miteni was found liable”, summarizes Corriere del Veneto, “and will have to pay 125,000 euro in fines, in addition to getting 437,000 euro worth of assets confiscated”.
Reparations
There were more than 300 civil parties in the trial: among them Acque del Chiampo, manager of the integrated water service for 10 municipalities in the Chiampo Valley. “The ruling represents a milestone in the recognition of the damages and costs incurred by the water managers”, says president Renzo Marcigaglia. “The compensation of 500,000 euro is a first step. We will go ahead until the full amount (37 million) is compensated in order to prevent users from paying the cost of pollution in their energy bills. The concept that the polluter is held accountable must also be reiterated during the compensation phase”.
“As water managers, we have developed the necessary methods to monitor the problem”, adds general manager Andrea Chiorboli, “purchasing laboratory instruments and generating expertise that we didn’t have before. We then grounded important investments by giving support to the region to adapt the infrastructure network in collaboration with other managers. We will now continue monitoring and controlling the situation, as well as making investments in the territory while waiting for reparations and to receive water from uncontaminated sources”.
Photo from Shutterstock
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