Overview
- Prosecutors this week opened a criminal case against Tata Steel IJmuiden BV, saying the investigation turned up indications of intentional release of harmful substances and other offences.
- Authorities allege the company performed inadequate maintenance on a major coke oven, operated parts of the plant without proper permits, and failed to report incidents of 'undercooked coke.'
- The probe began after a lawyer filed a complaint for more than 800 residents and was carried out by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate with support from police and regional environmental services.
- Tata Steel Netherlands rejected the charges as "fundamentally unjustified," pointed to technical fixes since 2020 and a reported 98% fall in undercooked‑coke incidents, and said the coke and gas plants will close under its Green Steel transition.
- The case is at an early stage with a preliminary hearing set for November 20, 2026, and prosecutors are conducting a separate inquiry into whether managers could be held personally liable, a move that could shape enforcement of industrial pollution rules.