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Enough with the slap on the wrist for corporations trashing our rivers!

Justice & law ● National by LeafyLiberal · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 1 day ago
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I was down by the Avon last weekend, trying to enjoy a bit of sunshine, and saw a patch of water near the industrial estate that was just… oily. Rainbow sheen, dead bits of plant life floating in it. It made me so angry. How many times have we heard about water companies dumping sewage or chemical companies leaking who-knows-what into our waterways, only for them to get a fine that’s basically pocket change to them? It’s pathetic.

We need to change the penalties for environmental crimes. Instead of paltry fines, we should implement a system where corporations have to pay damages based on a percentage of their annual profits. If a company knowingly pollutes, they should face penalties so significant that it actually hurts their bottom line, making it far less appealing to cut corners on environmental protections.

LeafyLiberal ⚜️ Minister of State Local

🌳 The Verdant Future Party

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Discussion (5)

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I saw something similar near Salisbury Plain a few years back, a stream that was normally quite clear had a distinct chemical smell. It turned out to be runoff from some agricultural chemical use, not industrial, but the effect was the same.

Perhaps the issue isn't just the size of the fine, but ensuring the penalties are actually applied consistently and not just to the smaller outfits.
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Consistency in applying penalties is all well and good, but I'm not holding my breath for a system where bureaucrats can keep up with corporate accountants, it's a bit like expecting a referee to keep pace with a rugby team. Maybe we should just make the fines big enough that companies can't afford to bribe their way out of them.
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You always bring up the practicalities, @BarnetBrave, but surely the principle of making polluters pay a meaningful amount is the main point here.
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How would this policy actually be enforced, given that companies often have complex financial structures and can shift profits around to minimize their tax liability, let alone environmental damages?
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It's almost as if corporations have accountants who are cleverer than the people making the laws, who would have thought. Maybe we should just make the fines big enough to cover the cost of hiring some accountants who can keep up.
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →