Waste water from pesticide production is discharged through pipelines into rivers directly connected with the Yangtze River, causing serious environmental pollution.
Recently, after a public prosecution filed by the Procuratorate of Taizhou Medical High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, the court sentenced the defendant Nantong Tianze Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Tianze Chemical Co., Ltd.) to a fine of 14 million yuan and withdrew from the illegal income of 13.25 million yuan, and sentenced the defendant Tan Zuming, vice chairman of Tianze Chemical Co., to four years'imprisonment and to a fine of 150,000 yuan. Five persons, Junming, Zhou Shuping, Yang Fan, Xu Caichao and Zhang Liangxing, were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from three years to one year. They were all subject to probation. They were prohibited from engaging in activities related to sewage discharge within the test period, and were fined 120,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan respectively.
It is reported that the case is one of the major environmental pollution cases in the Yangtze River Basin under the supervision of the Supreme Procuratorate alone or jointly with other ministries and commissions.
Case review
From April 2016, Tianze Chemical Company produced oxadiazine, an intermediate of pesticides. The waste liquid was initially stored in the big pond of East and West of the factory.
In February 2017, Dachi was almost full. In order not to affect production, Tan Zuming arranged for Vice General Manager Qian Junming, Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shuping and Vice Minister Yang Fan to install pipes privately to connect East-West Dachi with the boundary river between Rugao and Jingjiang through rainwater public wells. At Tan Zuming's behest, Qian Junming arranged Zhou Shuping, Yang Fan, Xu Caichao and Zhang Liangxing to discharge waste liquid through pipelines to Rujingjie River, which is directly connected to the Yangtze River. Tan Zuming instructed Zhou Shuping to secretly drain the waste liquid on rainy days, diluting the waste liquid by rainwater, so as to make it easy for people to hide their eyes.
Because of the concealment of the crime methods, after the Environmental Protection Bureau of Jingjiang City detected that the river was polluted, it did a comprehensive investigation of the coastal enterprises to find out the facts of the company's covert smuggling. On September 5, it transferred the clues to the Jingjiang Public Security Bureau, which filed the case for investigation on the same day. The company has discharged more than 2650 tons of waste liquid, which belongs to hazardous waste.
The Procuratorate of Jingjiang City of Jiangsu Province intervened in the case ahead of time and found that Tianze Chemical Industry was suspected of unit crime but not filed for investigation. Tan Zuming, as a competent officer, may be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment or more and should be arrested in accordance with the law because of social danger. It urged the public security organs to investigate Tianze Chemical Industry on April 25 and 26, 2018, and to submit approval for arrest respectively. Tan Zuming was arrested on May 7. Make a decision on arrest.
On July 5, the case was transferred to the Procuratorate of Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone for examination and prosecution in accordance with the provisions of the centralized jurisdiction of the crime of destroying the environment and resources in Taizhou.
On October 27, the hospital prosecuted Tianze Chemical and Tan Zuming for environmental pollution.
On January 16, 2019, the case was heard in the High-tech District Court. In court, the procuratorial organ believed that Tan Zuming was the proponent, organizer and leader of the crime. The consequences of the crime were particularly serious and the harm to society was enormous. He should be punished severely according to all the crimes he organized. In view of the fact that the defendant unit Tianze Chemical Industry actively compensates for the cost of environmental restoration and digs up river water and river bed silt for harmless treatment, the defendant concerned has a good attitude of confessing guilt and repenting. From the angle of Combining Leniency with strictness to ensure the normal production and operation of private economy, it can leniently treat Qian Junming, the head of enterprise production, Zhou Shuping, Yang Fan, the backbone of technology, etc., but it should be forbidden to engage in sewage discharge. The activities of Customs will further standardize the company's waste liquid treatment process. The court adopts the opinions of the procuratorial organs.
Six defendants, including Tianze Chemical Company and Tan Zuming, said they were subject to the judgment and did not appeal. It is reported that Tianze Chemical is actively cooperating with relevant departments to continue environmental rehabilitation work, and to conduct comprehensive standardization and rectification of the waste liquid disposal process.
Source: Procuratorial Daily