Colombian Law Would Toughen Sanctions, Increase Fines for Environmental Offenses

摘要

Colombia-Colombia's Congress July 16 sent President Alvaro Uribe a bill that would toughen penalties for environmental offenses. If signed into law, the Environmental Sanctions Law would reform Decree 1594 of 1984 and Law 99 of 1993. The bill carries numbers 238 of 2007 in the House of Representatives and 092 of 2006 in the Senate. It now requires the president's signature to become law. The sanctions bill would raise the upper limit for fines from 2,000 to as high as 5,000 times the minimum wage, currently set at 461,500 pesos ($260). It also would increase sanctions to as much as 20 years and would establish a presumption of guilt in cases of environmental damage, the ministry said. The law also would add community service and preventative seizure as tools for authorities.