Environmental Damage Compensation Case of People's Government of Jiujiang City v. Jiangxi Zhengpeng Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Lianxin Building Materials Co., Ltd., LI De et al. (7 People)

Facts

Jiangxi Zhengpeng Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhengpeng Company") signed contracts with Hangzhou Tangqi Thermal Power Co., Ltd. and others between 2017 and 2018 to transport and dispose sludge generated from the production process of several companies in consideration of corresponding sludge disposal fees. LI De, the de facto person in charge of Zhengpeng Company, dumped the sludge acquired from other companies directly, or together with Fengcheng Zhihe New Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zhihe Company), or handed it over to ZHANG Yongliang, SHU Zhengfeng and others who were not qualified for disposal of sludge to dump on multiple plots in the urban area of Jiujiang City. Hangzhou Lianxin Building Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Lianxin Company"), knowing that ZHANG Yongliang was engaged in illegal transport of sludge, still allowed him to dispose the sludge using blank contracts with the company's seal. The identification results showed that the above dumped sludge totaled 14,800 tons, causing soil, water and air pollution which requires 14,462,900 Yuan for restoration. After the incident was revealed, the People's Procuratorate of Xunyang District, Jiujiang City filed a criminal lawsuit against SHU Zhengfeng et al (6 people). SHU Zhengfeng et al (6 people) were held to be guilty of environment pollution charges by Jiujiang Intermediate People's Court at the second instance and sentenced imprisonment for terms from 10 months to 2 years and 2 months with 50,000 Yuan to 100,000 Yuan fines. Upon consultation in accordance with relevant regulations, Jiujiang Municipal People's Government reached an agreement on compensation with Hangzhou Tangqi Thermal Power Co. Ltd. Since no compensation agreement was reached with Zhengpeng Company, Lianxin Company, LI De or seven others, Jiujiang Municipal People's Government filed this lawsuit, requesting each defendant to fulfill its obligation to restore the ecological environment, pay for ecological restoration, make public apologies and bear attorney's fees and litigation costs.

Judgment

Jiujiang Intermediate People's Court, Jiangxi held in first instance that Zhengpeng Company and the de facto person in charge LI De directly dumped the sludge or handled it over to ZHANG Yongliang, SHU Zhengfeng and others to transport or dump, causing serious environmental pollution, and should bear the liability for corresponding ecological and environmental damage compensation. ZHANG Yongliang processed the sludge involved in this case with the sealed blank contract from Lianxin Company. Lianxin Company, without fulfilling its regulatory obligation, allowing ZHANG Yongliang to dump sludge illegally, should bear joint and several liability. XIA Jiping, as the de facto person in charge of Zhihe Company that cooperated with Zhengpeng Company to dump the sludge, also personally obtained a share of the profits from such cooperation, and thus shall bear joint and several liability. The sludge in the polluted plots involved was mixed together and cannot be restored separately. The court held that each defendant shall jointly bear the responsibility for the restoration of the sludge dumpling plot and restoration fee to be paid in case of non-fulfillment of the restoration obligations, make public apologies to the society on media at the provincial level or above and jointly pay for the preparation of environmental assessment report, risk assessment fees and attorney's fees. 

基本案情

2017年至2018年间，江西正鹏环保科技有限公司（以下简称正鹏公司）与杭州塘栖热电有限公司等签署合同，运输、处置多家公司生产过程中产生的污泥，收取相应的污泥处理费用。正鹏公司实际负责人李德将从多处收购来的污泥直接倾倒、与丰城市志合新材料有限公司（以下简称志合公司）合作倾倒或者交由不具有处置资质的张永良、舒正峰等人倾倒至九江市区多处地块，杭州连新建材有限公司（以下简称连新公司）明知张永良从事非法转运污泥，仍放任其持有加盖公司公章的空白合同处置污泥。经鉴定，上述被倾倒的污泥共计1.48万吨，造成土壤、水及空气污染，所需修复费用1446.29万元。案发后，九江市浔阳区人民检察院依法对被告人舒正峰等6人提起刑事诉讼，九江市中级人民法院二审判处被告人舒正峰等6人犯污染环境罪，有期徒刑二年二个月至有期徒刑十个月不等，并处罚金10万元至5万元不等。九江市人民政府依据相关规定开展磋商，并与杭州塘栖热电有限公司达成赔偿协议。因未与正鹏公司、连新公司、李德等7人达成赔偿协议，九江市人民政府提起本案诉讼，要求各被告履行修复生态环境义务，支付生态环境修复费用、公开赔礼道歉并承担律师费和诉讼费用。

裁判结果

江西省九江市中级人民法院一审认为，正鹏公司及其实际负责人李德直接倾倒污泥或者将污泥交付张永良、舒正峰等人转运或者倾倒，造成环境严重污染，应承担相应生态环境损害赔偿责任。张永良持有连新公司交付的加盖公司公章的空白合同处理案涉污泥，连新公司未履行监管义务，放任张永良非法倾倒污泥，应当承担连带责任。夏吉萍作为志合公司实际负责人，因该公司与正鹏公司合作从事污泥倾倒，且其个人取得利润分成，应当承担连带责任。案涉污染地块中污泥已混同，无法分开进行修复，判决各被告共同承担倾倒污泥地块的修复责任以及不履行修复义务时应当支付的修复费用，在省级或以上媒体向社会公开赔礼道歉，共同支付环评报告编制费、风险评估费以及律师代理费。