Tata Steel faces a potential penalty of €27 million from the Dutch Environment Department over emissions violations at two of its plants in the Netherlands.
The company was given eight weeks to significantly reduce emissions of harmful substances. If Tata Steel fails to comply, it could face fines of up to €27 million. Dutch authorities have also warned that they may consider revoking the plant’s license if coke gas plant No. 2 does not meet legal standards within a year.
Harmful substances, including heavy metals and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are being emitted from the smokestacks of Tata Steel’s No. 1 and 2 coke gas plants, the Dutch Environment Agency reported.
According to a report published on December 19, inspections conducted in February and August found emissions at levels 20 times higher than the legal limit at Plant No. 1 and five times higher than the permitted limit at Plant No. 2. The Environmental Services Authority granted Tata Steel has given eight weeks to address the problem. These violations were assessed prior to follow-up evaluation.
In response, Tata Steel announced its commitment to improve the plants and expressed its disagreement with the content of the notification and the reasons behind it. The company is seeking further discussions with the Department of Environment, the province and other stakeholders.
“We find the manner in which these decisions were made extremely distressing,” the steel company’s statement said, adding that the plant “plays an important role in our continuity and Green Steel plan.”
Both coke gas plants have been under increased scrutiny since 2023. Earlier this year, expert group Health IJmond advised closing Old Plant 2 to reduce safety risks. However, Tata Steel plans to keep the plant open until at least 2029. The Environment Service had previously fined Tata for releasing toxic substances from the production of “raw coke” at the plant.
The Environment Service stated that Plant No. 2 did not meet legal requirements and, in October, indicated that measures would be implemented. Tata Steel now has six weeks to submit an action plan to bring the plant into compliance, with a year to implement the necessary changes. If a company fails to meet legal standards within this time frame, the Environmental Service may revoke its license.
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