Executives Get Combined 141 Years in Prison for Italy PFAS Spill

Eleven former executives of companies linked to Miteni SpA were sentenced to a combined 141 years in prison by an Italian court for one of the largest groundwater contaminations of forever chemicals in Europe.

Parent company Mitsubishi Corp., Japan’s biggest trading house, and Luxembourg-based International Chemical Investors Group were found to be liable along with the individuals for damage caused by pollution with per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals.

The individuals included three Japanese nationals, two of whom were seconded from Mitsubishi. A court in the city of Vicenza handed down individual prison sentences as long as 17 years and six months, according to the ruling.

Miteni produced fluorinated chemicals and intermediates for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, playing a key role in the trading house’s chemical business from 1996 to 2009. From the 1960s until Miteni declared bankruptcy in 2018, the chemical manufacturer made products containing PFAS chemicals at its factory near Vicenza. The chemicals are linked to severe health issues including cancer, infertility, birth defects and immune system disruptions.

The company is alleged to have discharged wastewater containing PFAS chemicals, contaminating groundwater and soil across several hundred square kilometers. The authorities of the Veneto Region identified its factory as the source of PFAS contamination in 2013. About 350,000 residents across three provinces in the region were affected by contaminated tap water and groundwater, according to local authorities.

The ruling “was welcomed with satisfaction by public bodies and the many associations present in the courtroom,” the local municipal authority of Vincenza said in a statement. The court decision can still be appealed and the ruling won’t come in effect before the final decision.

Mitsubishi still faces administrative litigation related to the criminal proceedings.

“The process could take years, and we currently don’t know how it will unfold,” a company spokesperson said. “We will continue to respond sincerely in judicial proceedings.” The company declined to comment on matters concerning affected individuals.