Trafigura fined 1 M euros in environmental scandal

Chemical waste dumped into the Ivory Coast and violation of Dutch law resulted in a 1 million euros fine for Trafigura in the Amsterdam District Court Friday.

Fifteen people died and 69 were hospitalized after the waste was unloaded in August 2006 by Trafigura Beheer BV, an international commodities and oil trader, said Okechukwu Ibeanu, the United Nations top expert on toxic waste.

"There seems to be strong ... evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste from the Probo Koala" ship, which was chartered by Trafigura, Ibeanu said in a 2009 report.

The Amsterdam Port Services, captain, and Trafigura were charged with offending Dutch environment and waste export laws. All parties pleaded not guilty, and the port services was not found guilty on any charge.

The Ukrainian captain, Sergiy Chertov, was convicted on forgery and sentenced to a five-year suspended jail term, along with an employee fined 25,000 euros by presiding Judge Frans Bauduin of the court. Bauduin agreed with prosecutors that Beheer placed profits before safety.

The waste was concealed in the ship that docked in Amsterdam, was illegally exported, then dumped near Abidjan, Africa by a contractor for a cheaper price. The Amsterdam Port Services allegedly refused to treat the waste at the price agreed, because it was more toxic than expected.

According to proceedings, Beheer decided to dispose of the waste "for commercial reasons," and the verdicts will be studied "with a view to appeal."

Beheer paid 152 million euros to the Ivory Coast in 2007 and compensation to Abidjan residents in 2009 under two prior settlements.