Director charged with environmental crimes linked to waste facility in Eide, Norway
Authorities have been investigating serious allegations of environmental crimes linked to a waste facility in central Norway. The operations at the site attracted significant attention as the accumulation of waste reached thousands of tons over the years. The former managing director of the facility has now been charged with environmental and financial crimes, as well as violations of the penal code.
The charges state that the director unlawfully stored waste for two decades at the waste facility in Eide, with additional years at a similar site in the neighboring municipality of Averøy. He held multiple roles, being both the managing director and sole shareholder of the companies involved. The prosecutor has also charged him with submitting false reports to the state authorities and for failing to declare bankruptcy several years before the company in Eide went under.
The case draws attention to longstanding issues at the waste facilities in Eide and Averøy, which have been a focus of scrutiny by environmental regulators for years. Following repeated inspections and identified discrepancies, operations at the Eide facility were suspended in 2020, leading to the revocation of its license, the company’s bankruptcy, and subsequent police investigations.
Although state authorities have faced criticism for inadequate oversight of the facility, the prosecutor emphasized the director’s responsibility to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Over the years, waste has reportedly piled up at the site to such an extent that it would take large trucks nearly nine days of continuous operation just to clear it out. Cleanup efforts are estimated to cost around 50 million Norwegian kroner ($5 million) and have barely begun, despite being four years since operations ceased. Authorities aim to complete the cleanup by next year.