The trial, which began on Tuesday, concerns when toxic waste from a Bolide-owned mine spilled into the Guadiamar River and its vicinity in southern Spain in April 1998. The Doñana National Park, a few miles to the south, narrowly escaped the spill.
The incident is described as one of Spain’s worst environmental disasters ever. Thousands of fish and birds died.
In 2000, a court in Seville dropped the charges against Boliden’s subsidiary and ruled that Boliden was not criminally responsible for the spill, but legal proceedings in the case are thus ongoing over 20 years later.
Testimony from twelve witnesses and three experts will be heard during the trial, which is expected to end on July 13.