The sentence against Miteni pronounced in June, the reasons for which have now been published, is an unprecedented indictment: the company knew it was polluting and did so deliberately, producing PFAS and other harmful substances for years with the sole purpose of making money, completely ignoring the consequences for the environment and the health of 350 thousand citizens.
The 2,062 pages of reasons filed by the Court of Assizes of Vicenza leave no room for interpretation. It was not a case of negligence or underestimation, but of a precise entrepreneurial choice.
A historic conviction for an environmental crime
Last June 26, after six hours of deliberation and a trial that lasted four years, the Court of Assizes of Vicenza inflicted a total of 141 years in prison on 11 of the 15 managers of the former Miteni factory in Trissino and of the multinationals ICIG and Mitsubishi. The reasons filed now confirm the seriousness of the facts: the company has contaminated the provinces of Vicenza, Padua and Verona, poisoning the aquifers and drinking water of hundreds of thousands of people.
The environmental law of prevention and protection does not end with the regulations on reclamation, but is much more complex and complete. – the judges write in the reasons – For non-regulated substances, the law strictly prohibits their significant and measurable release into the environment where they were not previously present and requires their drastic and total removal.
The most serious point that emerged from the reasons is that as early as 2009 Miteni had a detailed information framework on the contamination of the site and groundwater. Despite this knowledge, the company never communicated anything to the institutions and continued to produce PFAS, then also GenX and C604, even more insidious substances. A precise choice, according to the judges, dictated solely by profit.
It was therefore not a simple underestimation of the risk, but a deliberate decision to continue the polluting activity despite being fully aware of the devastating consequences for the environment and public health.
Millionaire compensation
The ruling established compensation for over 300 civil parties, including private individuals and public bodies, for a total of tens of millions of euros. The Ministry of the Environment was awarded compensation of 58 million euros, the Veneto Region 6.5 million, and the environmental agency Arpav 800 thousand euros. Municipalities, water companies and the Province of Vicenza also obtained compensation.
For individuals, in particular the “No Pfas Moms” who led the battle for the truth, compensation ranges from 15 to 20 thousand euros. A symbolic sum compared to the damage suffered, but an important recognition of their struggle.
What are PFAS and why are they so dangerous
PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemical compounds used by industry for their waterproofing and non-stick properties. The problem is that they are practically indestructible: they are called “forever chemicals“, eternal chemicals, because they persist in the environment and in the human body for decades.
These substances tend to accumulate in the blood and organs over time, with potentially very serious health effects. Numerous scientific studies have in fact linked exposure to PFAS with an increased risk of certain tumors, in particular kidney and testicular tumors, but also with damage to the immune system and alterations in thyroid function. Prolonged intake has also been associated with high cholesterol levels, liver problems and pregnancy complications. In children, exposure can interfere with normal growth and development processes, causing developmental delays.
Their danger is accentuated by the fact that they easily spread through aquifers, contaminating the drinking water of entire communities. In the Miteni case, the contamination reached three Venetian provinces, poisoning the water of 350 thousand citizens for years.
The case exploded in 2013, when the Veneto Region was informed by the Ministry of the Environment of the presence of PFAS in “worrying” concentrations in the drinking water of some municipalities. From that moment an unprecedented legal and civil battle began, led by the “No Pfas Mothers” movement, women who discovered that they had been giving their children poisoned water to drink for years.
Their mobilization forced the institutions to act, leading to population screening, in-depth analyzes and finally to the trial that ended with this historic sentence. For years they have demonstrated, collected data, reported, asking for justice for their families and for all the people exposed.
What happens now
Defense lawyers will now have access to the 2,062 pages of reasons and will have to decide whether to proceed with the appeal to the Court of Appeal. The legal battle may therefore not be over. In the meantime, however, this ruling represents a fundamental precedent in Italian environmental jurisprudence: it clearly establishes that knowingly polluting for profit is a crime that must be punished with the utmost rigor.
The Miteni case thus becomes a symbol of the fight against industrial pollution and demonstrates that, even if slowly, justice can arrive. But a bitter taste remains: 350 thousand people have been drinking contaminated water for years, while some knew and chose to do nothing.
