The district court imposed a fine of € 80,000 on the state-owned railway company VR in connection with the derailment of a tanker that resulted in a leak of tons of fuel additive MTBE.
The Etelä-Savo District Court held the company liable for serious environmental damage in an event that took place in the municipality of Mäntyharju in the spring of 2018.
MTBE or methyl tertiary-butyl ether, is a flammable, volatile and colorless liquid used mainly as an additive in petrol, which, among other things, reduces emissions from internal combustion engines.
VR previously acknowledged in a written statement that VR Transpoint’s logistics division, which was a separate player, was responsible for the crime.
In its decision, the court found that the accident caused significant pollution of the environment, a danger to public health and adverse changes in the environment. Leakage pollution was also considered to be widespread and long-lasting.
No person has been elected to commit the crime. The court dismissed the charges against the accused because the prosecutor dismissed the charges.
In addition to the court’s decision on Tuesday, 25 local landowners are demanding compensation for the leak, claiming damages totaling just under € 600,000.
The court said the civil lawsuits will be dealt with separately and the proceedings will begin after the summer holidays.
Source: The Nordic Page