An Italian court has sentenced eleven chemical plant execs to prison for contaminating drinking water with toxic PFAS substances.
The ruling on Thursday followed a major environmental trial centred on the now-closed Miteni plant in Trissino, northeast Italy. The court handed prison terms of up to 17 years to former managers, including two executives from Miteni.
The convicted individuals worked for companies including Japan’s Mitsubishi and Luxembourg-based ICIG. The court acquitted four other defendants.
Judges found the executives guilty of knowingly polluting water and soil across a 200-square-kilometre area in Veneto. The pollution affected hundreds of thousands of people between the cities of Vicenza, Verona, and Padova.
Prosecutors said the Miteni facility leaked chemical-laced waste into local waterways from 1968 until it closed in 2018. The trial began in 2021 and involved hundreds of civil plaintiffs, including Greenpeace and local families.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals used in products like non-stick pans and stain-resistant fabrics. They do not break down easily. They have been linked to cancers and hormonal disorders.
In total, the court imposed more than 141 years in prison—exceeding prosecutors’ request of 121 years. The convicted parties must also pay over €6.5 million to the Veneto region and €58 million to Italy’s environment ministry.
Greenpeace Italy called the verdict “historic.” Veneto’s regional leader, Luca Zaia, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a long-awaited moment of justice.
Last month, a court confirmed that a former Miteni worker’s 2014 death from cancer was due to prolonged PFAS exposure.
