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Company
directors may face prison for environmental crimes
The Environment Agency has
warned that it will pursue higher fines and jail sentences for company
directors that flout environmental legislation.
At its annual event in London, the Environment Agency said a
recent increase in fines and number of prosecutions had not discouraged
businesses from environmental offences. The average fine per prosecution
rose by 36% to £8,744 from 2001 to 2002 and the number of prosecutions rose
by 13%. However, repeat offenders do not seem to have been put off as they
represented 20% of the year’s figures.
It is considered that
the fines should be at a level to make offences worth avoiding.
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