Dutch prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into plastics manufacturer Sabic over the suspected illegal discharge of the PFAS chemical PFBS into the Westerschelde estuary in the Netherlands.
According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), Sabic’s plant in Bergen op Zoom is suspected of releasing PFBS—a so-called “forever chemical”—into the Westerschelde and the nearby Theodorushaven without the required environmental permit.
The investigation follows a criminal complaint filed in January by four environmental and residents’ organisations. They allege that Sabic, and its predecessor General Electric Plastics, have been discharging PFBS into the estuary without a licence since the 1990s.
The case has been assigned to the OM’s specialist environmental crime unit, which will investigate whether Sabic and its executives unlawfully released hazardous substances into surface waters. Prosecutors said the investigation could take considerable time but stressed that it would proceed with urgency given the potential risks to public health and the environment.