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FINES on polluting businesses are increasing as courts get tougher on environmental offenders, but the companies can still afford to take risks.
The Environment Agency said yesterday that although there were more prosecutions taken against corporate polluters, 20% were repeat offenders who had failed to learn from previous convictions.
Baroness Young of Old Scone, the agency's chief executive, said: "Courts are getting tougher on environmental offenders but fines are still small change for big business."
Craig Bennett, corporate accountability campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "It's good that the Environment Agency is bringing these prosecutions, but it is...