Grigeo Klaipėda ordered to pay 48 million euros for environmental damage

The Šiauliai Regional Court has ordered Grigeo Klaipėda to pay 48 million euros in compensation to the state for environmental damage caused by the illegal discharge of untreated industrial wastewater into the Curonian Lagoon. The court also imposed a 2 million euro fine on the company and prohibited its reorganization until the penalty is fulfilled.

Gintautas Pangonis, who previously held leadership roles at the company, was issued a 120,000 euro fine and a three-year ban from holding management positions. According to prosecutors, the company secretly released approximately 5 million cubic meters of biologically untreated wastewater into the lagoon between 2012 and January 2020.

Pangonis stated that while the fine is significant, the group's overall stability should not be affected as Grigeo Klaipėda accounts for only about 14 percent of the group's revenue. He noted that he has not held a management position for three years and expressed a desire to review the court's specific motives before deciding on further legal action. The decision is subject to appeal.