EcoPolitic has collected the 10 most significant cases of environmental damage that were made public during the week of May 10-16. The information was published by the press services of prosecutors, as well as the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine and its subdivisions.
1. The Capital Forestry Office branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” must compensate UAH 1.6 million in damages caused to the environment by pollution and land contamination in the Radomyshl territorial community of Zhytomyr region within one month.
Specialists of the State Ecological Inspectorate of Polissia District during raids found industrial woodworking waste (sawdust) and other household waste on land plots of 1.3 hectares and 0.4 hectares with an average height of 1.7 meters on the open ground.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei.
The foresters did not take care of the insulation that would prevent the liquid part of the waste from filtering into the groundwater and groundwater infiltration. Environmental inspectors took soil samples and found that the ammonium content was exceeded.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei.
The foresters were offered to voluntarily compensate for the damage within a month.
2. In Zakarpattia, a company from Perechyn will pay UAH 14.7 million in damages for phenol contamination of soil on the land plot it uses, according to a court decision. Its area is more than 4.6 hectares. The prosecutor's office reminded that phenol and its derivatives are highly toxic, have carcinogenic effects and have a detrimental effect on flora and fauna.
3. Another organized group of “black loggers” was exposed in the Dnipro region. The organizer and three members of the group were served with a notice of suspicion. They were engaged in illegal deforestation in the territory of the Sinelnykivsky district of the region and the sale of timber.
Photo: dnipr.gp.gov.ua.
A member of the village council created an organized group. The suspects cut down acacias and sold them to local residents.
Photo: dnipr.gp.gov.ua.
“Black loggers” caused environmental damage worth almost UAH 1 million.
4. The court sentenced a 43-year-old poacher who lives in a village in Mykolaiv district. In April 2024, the man illegally caught almost 800 fish of various species of the goby genus from the Tiligul Estuary using prohibited fishing gear during the fishing ban and without a permit.
By his actions, he caused losses to the state in the amount of over UAH 1.1 million.
The offender fully admitted his guilt. The Berezansky District Court found him guilty and sentenced him to a fine of UAH 17,000, as well as applied a special confiscation – the state transferred the prohibited fishing gear and fish seized during the pre-trial investigation to the state.
5. In Rivne region, members of a group that dumped dairy waste on community land will be tried. It is about three residents of Bereznovsky district: the head of a private enterprise, the head of a workshop and a driver.
Photo: pro.gov.ua.
To simplify production processes and minimize the cost of dairy waste disposal, the offenders arranged dumping sites on agricultural land. Between July 2024 and March this year, the group members contaminated more than 12 hectares of land with hazardous dairy waste. By their actions, they created a danger to human life and health and caused environmental damage worth almost UAH 1.7 million.
Law enforcement officers caught the criminals red-handed, right when they were dumping the waste.
Photo: pro.gov.ua.
6. In Cherkasy region, the director of one of the Kaniv companies will be brought to court. Despite the fact that the company's special permit for subsoil use had expired and a new permit had not yet been obtained, he allowed illegal extraction of groundwater. By doing so, the director caused damage to the environment and public interests worth more than UAH 1 million.
7. And here is another case of either official negligence or deliberate "turning a blind eye". Prosecutors submitted to the court an indictment against a forester of one of the forestries of the Berehomet Forestry Branch of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine". He is accused of negligence that caused serious consequences.
Photo: chrn.gp.gov.ua.
According to the investigation, the forester did not properly fulfill his official duties and allowed illegal felling of trees in the territory under his protection.
Photo: chrn.gp.gov.ua.
Photo: chrn.gp.gov.ua.
Environmental damage exceeded UAH 1.8 million.
8. A resident of Polonne, Khmelnytskyi region, was sentenced to 2 years of probation for environmental damage. He was found guilty of land pollution and illegal logging.
Photo: khmel.gp.gov.ua.
The offender placed 4 pyrolysis furnaces on an agricultural land plot and was burning charcoal.
Photo: khmel.gp.gov.ua.
Also in February of this year, he illegally cut down 2 alder trees in the forest of the Polonska community, causing damage of more than UAH 32 thousand.
9. The State Ecological Inspectorate in Ternopil Oblast calculated damages and filed claims against the Zalozetska village council for a total of over UAH 14.4 million for littering and contamination of land plots located in settlements on the community's territory with solid waste.
10. Environmental inspectors of the Central District calculated almost UAH 1.8 million in damages and filed a claim against the Lipiansk Village Council of Cherkasy Oblast for the illegal felling of 119 trees by unidentified persons in the field protection strip located outside the village of Kavunivka of the Lipiansk Village Territorial Community.
Read more about organized criminal groups involved in illegal logging and dumping of slaughterhouse waste in last week's EcoPolitic digest.
