AMSTERDAM, July 8 (Reuters) – Dutch prosecutors said on Wednesday they have launched a criminal case against the Dutch arm of Tata Steel for “intentionally” polluting the environment.
The prosecutors said a criminal investigation into Tata’s massive plant in IJmuiden, on the Dutch coast west of Amsterdam, had given clear indications that the company was not taking enough care to prevent hazardous pollution.
They also said Tata’s maintenance of its heavily polluting coke oven was inadequate and that the company was operating without appropriate licences.
Tata’s Dutch division said on Wednesday that it disagreed with the accusations, and said it had already made major improvements in recent years to limit pollution.
It said it was “unnecessary” to launch a case over a “limited” number of incidents which it said had been the subject of improvements.
The prosecutors said it was not yet clear if Tata’s Dutch executives would also be personally prosecuted.
Tata’s IJmuiden plant is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the Netherlands and research has shown that it is responsible for a range of health problems in the region, according to research commissioned by the government.
Tata Steel has said its emissions meet legal limits and that it expects the steel factory to reduce emissions.
Dutch regulators in 2024 threatened to shut down the coke oven, one of the main ovens at the plant, as they said it continued to operate in breach of environmental regulations.
A first hearing in the case will be held on November 20 at the district court in Amsterdam.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Michael Perry)
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