Published 08.04.2025 Caseworker: Trygve Weidemann Moxness

Despite clear environmental safety requirements, Veidekke has chosen a cheap and risky solution for its landfill at Raudsand. With inadequate sealing and the potential for leakage into nature, Norges Miljøvernforbund believes enough is enough. We now demand daily fines, full cleanup, and a halt in operations until the deviations are corrected.

Cheap solutions and rulebreaking

Norges Miljøvernforbund (NMF) strongly protests against the serious environmental violations and ongoing pollution discovered at Veidekke's Landfill 2 at Raudsand. According to the Environmental Directorate's deviation report dated February 13, 2025, the bottom and side sealing at the landfill is not approved. Where regulations require the use of a solid and impermeable HDPE membrane with welded seams to prevent leakage and pollution to the surroundings, Veidekke has opted for a simpler and less secure solution using tape-laminated PE membranes.

In our view, this is a serious environmental negligence and a clear violation of the requirements for responsible waste disposal.

NMF believes that it is insufficient for the Norwegian Environment Agency to consider a one-time fine of 300,000 kroner. This is far too low, especially when considering that the Veidekke Group had a turnover of over 41 billion kroner in 2024. Such a fine is unlikely to have any real preventive effect. For a company of this size, sanctions must be proportionate to both the severity of the case and the company's financial capacity.

The Norwegian environmental agency needs to put their foot down

The Norwegian Environment Agency should consider hiring an independent company, at Veidekke's expense, to assess the consequences of these violations on soil contamination on Veidekke's own property and the surrounding environment. NMF also calls for Veidekke to be required to clean up any contamination in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle. Cleanup efforts should likely be carried out both on Veidekke's own land and in other areas where the contamination has spread, including the sediments in the fjord. Fortunately, Veidekke is a billion-dollar corporation with significant financial surplus, which means it has the resources to address and resolve its own environmental pollution.

The Norwegian Environment Agency has, for far too many years, been too lenient with the pollution that Veidekke and other businesses have caused at Raudsand. Due to the Agency's lax approach, Veidekke has gained competitive advantages compared to other businesses that have adhered to environmental regulations. It is unacceptable that Veidekke, due to its environmental pollution, has gained competitive benefits and increased profits at the expense of more environmentally friendly companies in the same industry.

On Veidekke's site at Raudsand, there are now so many serious deviations that Veidekke should be required to shut down its polluting activities at Raudsand until the deviations have been addressed. NMF strongly believes that the Norwegian Environment Agency should enforce the closure of Veidekke’s polluting activities at Raudsand.

NMF demands action

We at NMF believe that there must be consequences when a large player chooses to ignore central environmental safety requirements. It is not acceptable for such environmental violations to continue without the company being held financially and legally accountable. We believe the following should be imposed on Veidekke:

• Daily fines of 300 000 NOK per day, until all deviations are corrected and documented.

• Halt the operations at Raudsand until the facility and operations meet all environmental safety requirements.

• Indepentent assessment of potential leaks and pollution from the facility, funded by Veidekke.

• Cleanup of contaminated soil and any sediment in nearby fjord areas,in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle.

The lack of follow-up from the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) over time has effectively given Veidekke a competitive advantage compared to other companies that follow the regulations. This is unfair, distorts competition, and is in conflict with all principles of sustainable and responsible business practices.

NMF expects the Norwegian Environment Agency to intervene now with the necessary and forceful measures, putting a stop to further environmental degradation at Raudsand.