Case of Environmental Pollution by the Defendant Entity Deqing Minghe Thermal Insulation Materials Co., Ltd. and the Accused QI Erming

Facts

The defendant entity Deqing Minghe Thermal Insulation Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Minghe Company") was established on March 8, 2017. It mainly engages in the production of polyurethane (PU) rigid foam composite polyether thermal insulation materials, and the wholesale and retail of PU thermal insulation materials, raw chemical materials (excluding hazardous chemicals and precursor chemicals), plastic materials and construction materials. The accused QI Erming is the company's legal representative. During the period from August 2017 to June 2019, knowing that trichlorofluoromethane is controlled ozone depleting substance (ODS) and that it is prohibited from being used in production, QI Erming still purchased it from others and used it in the production of PU rigid foam composite polyether thermal insulation materials in Minghe Company. During that period, Minghe Company purchased 849.5 tons of trichlorofluoromethane in total and discharged 3,049.7 kg trichlorofluoromethane waste gas in the course of production by using trichlorofluoromethane.

Judgment

In the trial of the first instance, Deqing Primary People's Court, Zhejiang held that defendant entity Minghe Company used trichlorofluoromethane in its production of thermal insulation materials and sold such materials are in violation of the state regulations, which seriously polluted the environment. The acts of the defendant entity constituted the crime of environmental pollution. The accused QI Erming, as legal representative of the defendant entity, knowing that trichlorofluoromethane was prohibited from being used in production, voluntarily purchased it andit in the production of thermal insulation materials, and sold such materials causing serious environmental pollution. Thus, he should also be subject to criminal liability for the crime of environmental pollution. The court of first instance sentenced Minghe Company to a fine of 700,000 Yuan and sentenced QI Erming to a fixed-term imprisonment of ten months with a fine of 50,000 Yuan for committing the crime of environmental pollution.

基本案情

被告单位明禾公司成立于2017年3月8日，主要从事聚氨酯硬泡组合聚醚保温材料的生产，以及聚氨酯保温材料、化工原料（除危险化学品及易制毒化学品）、塑料材料、建筑材料批发零售，法定代表人为被告人祁尔明。2017年8月至2019年6月期间，被告人祁尔明在明知三氯一氟甲烷系受控消耗臭氧层物质，且被明令禁止用于生产使用的情况下，仍向他人购买，并用于被告单位明禾公司生产聚氨酯硬泡组合聚醚保温材料。期间，被告单位明禾公司共计购买三氯一氟甲烷849.5吨。经核算，被告单位明禾公司在使用三氯一氟甲烷生产过程中，造成三氯一氟甲烷废气排放为3049.7千克。

裁判结果

浙江省德清县人民法院一审认为，被告单位明禾公司违反国家规定，使用三氯一氟甲烷用于生产保温材料并出售，严重污染环境，其行为已构成污染环境罪。被告人祁尔明作为被告单位法定代表人，明知三氯一氟甲烷禁止用于生产，主动购入用于公司生产保温材料并销售，造成环境严重污染，亦应当以污染环境罪追究刑事责任。一审法院以污染环境罪，判处被告单位明禾公司罚金70万元，判处被告人祁尔明有期徒刑10个月，并处罚金5万元。