2 million 674 thousand lira fine for İSKİ due to environmental violation

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has imposed a fine of 2 million 674 thousand 708 lira on the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ), which operates under the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The ministry issued a statement regarding the matter. The statement noted that the fine was issued due to the discharge of domestic wastewater into the Sea of Marmara from in front of the Kuleli Military High School in Üsküdar, Istanbul, and stated that teams from the Istanbul Provincial Directorate determined that wastewater was being discharged during an inspection conducted on February 23.

According to the statement, the teams determined that the wastewater flowing into the depths of the Sea of Marmara, which is a Special Environmental Protection Area (ÖÇK), was brown and foaming.

The statement also included the following:

"As a result of the analysis of the wastewater sample, it was determined that the 'suspended solids', 'biochemical oxygen demand', and 'total nitrogen parameters' exceeded the limit values. Due to this being the second occurrence of the same violation, a double sanction was applied in accordance with the Environmental Law, and an administrative fine of 2 million 674 thousand 708 lira was imposed."

It was recalled that ministry teams had also conducted an inspection at the same location on January 12 following a report, and that an administrative fine of 1 million 337 thousand 354 lira had been imposed on İSKİ during that inspection as well.