EcoPolitic has collected the most damaging cases of environmental damage over the past week, from August 2 to 8. The sources of information were the State Environmental Inspectorate (SEI) and its subdivisions, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the press services of prosecutors' offices in different regions.
1. In the city of Vyshneve in Kyiv region, claims were made against the company SBMU PIDRYAD LLC for emissions of pollutants into the air.
Based on the results of an unscheduled inspection, inspectors established the fact of air pollution by stationary sources for which they had not received permission.
Experts conducted a pre-trial investigation, which resulted in a UAH 5.7 million damage assessment.
The company must pay this amount to the state due to excessive emissions of harmful substances into the air.
2. The Pulyn village council in Zhytomyr region was ordered by a court to pay almost UAH 1.8 million for illegal deforestation.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei
In the fall of 2023, the State Ecological Inspectorate hotline received an appeal based on which the fact of illegal tree felling was established. Initially, the court dismissed the environmental inspectorate's claim to bring the Pulyn village council to justice. However, after the environmental inspectors filed an appeal, the case was reviewed again and the village council was found guilty.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei
For the first time in the Zhytomyr region, a similar case was brought to an end and those responsible for environmental damage were punished.
A total of 222 trees of various species were cut down, but the people involved in the felling were never identified. According to the court's decision, the local government will have to compensate for the damage.
3. Due to hostile shelling in Zhytomyr region, the environment of the communities suffered damage worth more than UAH 279 million.
The State Ecological Inspectorate summarized the damage that the Russians caused to the region's environment. Soils were damaged due to the contamination of land with the waste of destruction caused by Russian shelling, and pollutants were released into the air.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei
The Novohuyvynsk and Stanyshiv communities suffered the most, with total environmental damage reaching UAH 279 million.
4. More than 140 elm trees were cut down in the Vilnyanska community of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
During a routine inspection of the local nature reserve "Virgin Plot No. 3," experts found elm trees worth more than UAH 6.4 million cut down.
Photo: t.me/deionline
To identify the perpetrators of the tree felling, the environmental inspectorate appealed to law enforcement agencies to record the fact of a criminal offense against nature.
The landowner of the site is the Vilnia City Council, so a claim was sent to it regarding the illegal felling of elms, demanding that it compensate for the damage on a voluntary basis, otherwise the case will be taken to court.
5. Illegal extraction of groundwater in Poltava region, which caused losses of UAH 450 million.
Photo: t.me/deionline
Law enforcement officers served suspicion notices to two former directors of a utility company who illegally extracted water without permits (a special water use permit and a special subsoil use permit). The forensic examination proved the violation and estimated the damages at UAH 450 million.
6. More than UAH 5 million in losses due to massive fish kills in Zhytomyr region.
More than 15 tons of fish died in the river Ubort in Yemilnych, Zhytomyr region, which also led to the loss of offspring. The study proved that about 1,500 fish died.
Photo: t.me/polissyareg_dei
Experts are currently taking water samples from the river to determine the cause of the fish's death.
7. In Zakarpattia, the head of the Svydovets forestry will be tried for illegal logging in a protected area.
SBI specialists have completed an investigation into the illegal felling of about 100 trees in the Svydovets forestry and referred the case to court.
The head's responsibilities include control over the assigned territory, recording offenses and timely response to any illegal actions. But the official, knowing about the illegal logging, did not report it to the specialists.
Photo: t.me/DBRgovua
SBI officials say the criminals cut down 84 trees in the protected area. The total amount of damage was estimated at UAH 4.5 million.
The head of the forestry is being prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, due to official negligence. He faces imprisonment for up to 5 years.
Earlier, EcoPolitics wrote that in Zakarpattia, employees of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" cut down trees located in the forestry "Shipot" to build a road.
