Balastierele ilegale, vizate de sancțiuni mult mai dure: amenzile ajung și la 500.000 de lei

The Senate has passed a law aimed at curbing illegal mineral extraction disguised as fish pond development. The legislation, initiated by Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu, increases penalties and introduces new measures, including the confiscation of illegal equipment. Over the past decade, only about 100 of the 1,200 approved fish ponds have been constructed, leading to illegal extraction of over 230 million cubic meters of sand and gravel. The law raises fines for illegal operations to up to 500,000 lei and imposes bans on operators for five years. It also establishes new offenses for illegal storage of minerals and mandates video surveillance in extraction areas. The initiative will be debated in the Chamber of Deputies next.