Environmental fines: what are the main ones and how to avoid them?

onlineservice
4 min readFeb 16, 2021

Whatever the industrial activity developed by the company, the concern that the production processes do not represent environmental damage is the responsibility of any company. In addition to showing respect and care for the environment, the company in question avoids receiving possible environmental fines and aggravating its situation before public agencies.

However, even though it is an issue that, fortunately, is obvious and followed by some companies, there is still a considerable portion that insists on violating certain environmental laws, being totally susceptible to government penalties, besides, of course, damaging the ecosystem. Place.

But do you already know what the main environmental fines are and how to avoid them? Continue reading this text to learn about everything on the subject!

The importance of understanding environmental penalties

It is not just a reason that leads the entrepreneur to seek to understand more about the possible environmental fines that his business may receive, but a set of factors.

The serious consequences for nature and the ecosystem are the main problems to be considered. Thus, it is essential that the company is aware of how harmful a particular practice adopted by it can be for the environment, thus knowing all possible impacts on fauna and flora.

Having this awareness is important because it is from this analysis that the business is able to measure more precisely how severe an environmental fine could be.

Another issue that requires a thorough understanding of possible environmental penalties concerns financial aspects. This is because, depending on the severity of the impact on nature caused by the activities carried out, the amount of the fine can be so great that it will literally imply the bankruptcy of the business.

Finally, it is interesting to note that institutions that are known for taking measures that imply environmental damage are generally discredited before the market. In other words, they tend to lose credibility (both with customers and suppliers) and may experience problems that affect the image of the business.

Read also: Are you looking for Auditors in UAE

The main environmental fines

Now, check out some of the main environmental fines that are applied to companies that break the law.

Pollution

Pollution can be caused on three fronts (in the atmosphere, in the soil and in water) and is classified as being some type of ecosystem change (path of a river, pH of a lake, oxygen rate of a river, soil depletion) etc.), arising from activities of human responsibility.

Thus, once the company’s responsibility in relation to industrial activities that pollute the environment is proven, it is at serious risk of receiving an environmental fine.

Consequences for nature

Among some of the consequences of pollution in nature, we can mention:

· low levels of oxygen in the water, resulting in the death of fish in rivers and lakes;

· depletion of soil nutrients, leaving it infertile and unproductive;

· decreased atmospheric air quality;

· rise in local temperatures due to the intensification of the greenhouse effect.

Consequences for human life

We also suffer from the pollution generated by negligent companies, mainly with:

· breathing difficulties due to air quality;

· development of respiratory problems;

· Ingestion of contaminated water.

Examples of companies

In this regard, companies that traditionally are punished for pollution tend to be from the following branches:

· mining;

· metallurgy;

· chemical industry;

· Oil companies.

Burning and deforestation

Any type of environmental impact is serious, but burning (often for the purpose of deforesting a forest area) may represent the most severe consequence for nature, as many animals die cruelly and have no chance of salvation. In addition, it generates great losses of local biodiversity and emission of polluting gases.

Unfortunately, the practice of burning forest areas is still common in Indian and results in severe environmental fines.

Consequences for nature

In nature, fires cause:

· irreversible devastation of the local fauna and flora;

· dumping too much CO2 into the air;

· Soil infertility.

Consequences for human life

For humans, a burn can represent:

· breathing problems, such as intoxication;

· Eye and skin irritation due to alteration of the microclimate (low levels of relative humidity).

Examples

Regarding fires, the following sectors are usually responsible:

· clandestine lumber companies;

· farmers.

Wrong waste management

There are several industrial processes that, when completed, generate a series of waste classified as toxic (both for nature and for humans).

Once the company fits into this context, it is essential that it be concerned with the proper dumping and storage of such waste , avoiding harming nature and reducing the chances of receiving a fine for incorrect management of polluting waste.

It is worth mentioning that, since it is an extremely important issue and that requires the application of technical measures for its control, toxic waste management is regulated in Indian by a series of standards, which establishes the parameters security for solid waste management.

Consequences for nature

When disposed of inconsistently, industrial waste can:

· contaminate rivers, lakes and groundwater;

· leaving the soil infertile;

· kill marine life, mainly due to lack of oxygen and changes in water pH.

Consequences for human life

For humans, inadequate toxic waste management can:

· cause inflammation of the skin;

· generate respiratory problems;

· Imply biological contamination and poisoning.

Examples

Examples of sectors that have already neglected waste management:

· construction;

· mining companies;

· Cleaning industry.

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