A Quebec court ordered mining giant AccelorMittal Mining Canada G.P. to pay a record CAD 100 million (USD 72 million, EUR 63 million) fine for depositing harmful substances in Canadian waterways.
The sentence, handed down 15 May by the Court of Québec, is the harshest penalty ever imposed under the Canada Fisheries Act, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said in a release.
AccelorMittal pled guilty to 100 counts of releasing various harmful substances into fish-bearing waters between 2014 and 2022 at its mining complexes in Mont-Wright and Fire Lake in Quebec, Canada. The company released effluents that are toxic to fish and effluents containing elevated concentrations of zinc, nickel, or suspended solids, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Spokesperson Amélie Desmarais told SeafoodSource.
The record fine is a result of the court ordering AMMC to pay to pay CAD 1 million (USD 727,000, EUR 626,000) for each of the 100 counts, totaling CAD 100 million dollars.
“The overwhelming evidence presented by the Crown led to an admission of guilt for releasing harmful substances into fish-bearing waters,” Director of Public Prosecutions George Dolhai said. “Polluters must be held to account for offenses resulting from their negligence.”
The record fine “reflects Canadians’ collective condemnation of these actions and seeks to deter those who may be contemplating committing these types of infractions,” Dolhai added.
The overwhelming majority of the payment will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund.
AMMC was also ordered to pay around CAD 249,904 (USD 182,000, EUR 156,500) to Environment and Climate Change Canada as a reimbursement for investigation costs. The company was also ordered to produce an environmental management plan.
