First Sludge Compensation Trial Begins In Hungary

  • 1 Dec 2010 1:00 AM
First Sludge Compensation Trial Begins In Hungary
"The first compensation lawsuit in connection with the October 4 toxic sludge ca-tastrophe began at the Municipal Court on Tuesday. Devecser resident József Konkoly is suing Magyar Aluminium (MAL) for nearly Ft 20 million in compensation.

Konkoly’s house and its furnishings were completely destroyed by the torrent of sludge and the building is now earmarked for demolition. He claims that MAL is responsible for the damage.

MAL lawyer György Ruttner argued that the company bears no legal responsibil-ity because the spill was caused by extreme weather conditions. The plaintiff will have to prove that the damage was illegally caused by MAL, Ruttner added as he asked the court to reject Konkoly’s lawsuit.

Konkoly’s lawyer Gábor Hidasi argued that the damage occurred not because the toxic sludge reservoir collapsed but because the sludge reached three vil-lages, and MAL is responsible for failing to protect the villages. "

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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