Environmental Pollution in Stryi Region: Suspicions and Consequences
In the Stryi region, environmental pollution of the land has been detected, causing damages exceeding 57 million UAH. Suspicions have been raised against the head of a municipal enterprise and an entrepreneur.
Investigation Details
Under the procedural guidance of the Stryi District Prosecutor’s Office, the deputy head of the municipal enterprise has been notified of suspicion of official negligence (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). In addition, a private entrepreneur is accused of land pollution with substances, waste, or other materials harmful to the environment as a result of violation of special regulations, causing severe consequences (Part 2 of Article 239 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, a series of contracts for work execution were concluded between one of the municipal enterprises of the Stryi region and an individual entrepreneur. It concerns the provision of landfill maintenance services.
However, the entrepreneur, violating the contract terms, from September 2020 to November 2024, without required permits, placed and disposed of solid waste outside the landfill, on adjacent land plots.
At the same time, the deputy head of the municipal enterprise failed to properly perform official duties and did not monitor the contract terms. In particular, he did not determine the necessity and did not initiate the development of a landfill operation project and the placement of waste according to this project, did not take measures to establish the boundaries of the landfill.
The expert assessments conducted during the investigation established that such actions of the parties caused environmental damage exceeding 57 million UAH.
Within the framework of criminal proceedings, prosecutors are preparing a civil lawsuit for the compensation of damages.
At the prosecutor’s request, the municipal enterprise official has been suspended from office. His property has been seized. A petition is also being prepared to seize the entrepreneur’s property.
Investigative actions are ongoing.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the investigators of the Stryi District Police Department of the Main Department of the National Police in the Lviv region, with operational support from the Stryi City Department of the SSU in the Lviv region.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until his guilt is proven in a legal manner and established by a court conviction.