Popești administration fine annulled by judges over waste collection

Judges in Iași have annulled a maximum fine issued to the Popești local administration regarding failures in selective waste collection. The National Environmental Guard had previously issued a fine of up to 45,000 lei after finding that the commune failed to meet the minimum 50% threshold for collecting paper, metal, plastic, and glass.

While the court ruled the original sanction was legally sound and well-founded, it determined that applying the maximum penalty was too harsh for a rural municipality. The local administration argued it had taken various steps to improve sanitation, including manual waste collection, installing warning signs and cameras, and organizing information campaigns, but noted that selective collection should also be monitored by waste collection firms.