A dispute has erupted in Uzbekistan's Kashkadarya region over an environmental compensation of nearly 11 billion soums (about $1 million) levied against the Mubarek Gas Processing Plant. The company has challenged the decision in court and appealed to the business ombudsman, claiming the penalties are unjustified.

The eco-police inspection revealed violations including illegal waste disposal, dust emissions, excessive sulfur oxide, carbon, and nitrogen emissions, and discharge of wastewater with oil products onto open land.

The plant was ordered to pay over 10.8 billion soums in compensation and issued mandatory remediation orders. The case was sent to court.

Plant management argues the inspection was conducted illegally and the compensation act was drawn up unilaterally without their representatives. They filed a complaint with the business ombudsman under the president.

The ombudsman found that officials from the environmental agency had committed violations, and an administrative protocol was drawn up against them. The materials were sent to the Mubarek district criminal court.

Currently, the dispute is being heard in the Tashkent Interdistrict Economic Court. The company warns that spreading unverified information before the trial ends could damage its business reputation.

Uzbekistan has recently tightened business liability for environmental violations, with legal entities facing fines ten times the amount of damage caused to nature.

Source: podrobno.uz