Falsified environmental data?

Investigation against Salzburg-based panel manufacturer

Kronospan plant in Mielec, Czech Republic(Bild: Jacek Halicki/Wikimedia)

The Romanian public prosecutor's office is investigating the Salzburg-based chipboard manufacturer Kronospan (Kaindl) on suspicion of illegal waste transportation and the falsification of environmental data. According to the journalist network OCCRP, searches were carried out at Kronospan's Romanian plants last week. The company confirmed this and announced a statement.

OCCRP refers to investigation documents. According to these documents, Kronospan is said to have shipped 24 tons of hazardous waste to Sweden that had been declared harmless. The company had placed the waste on the "green" list, which includes non-toxic materials such as paper and plastic. This saved the company from having to obtain permits from all countries affected by the transport.

Cheating with emission values?
Kronospan in Romania is also alleged to have cheated when recording emission values. For example, identical emission values were repeatedly reported to the decimal point, and in some cases no emissions were found in the recorded data, although the formaldehyde plant was in operation at the times mentioned. However, OCCRP also pointed out that the allegations are currently unproven and that no charges have been brought.

"It is true that the Romanian public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation against us, which is still in its early stages," said company spokesperson Johannes Leibetseder. "We are currently neither a witness nor a defendant." The spokesperson did not want to comment on the content for the time being, but announced a statement.