The State Treasury will pay 1 million PLN reward for identifying those responsible for the Odra River disaster

The 2022 ecological disaster on the Odra River has reached an interesting conclusion. The District Court in Warsaw has issued a ruling regarding the overdue reward for identifying those responsible for polluting the river. As a result, the State Treasury is obligated to pay 1 million PLN to the Central Foundation.

The prime minister made a promise but did not keep it

After the golden algae bloom led to the mass die-off of thousands of fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with the Chief of Police, Jarosław Szymczyk, announced that the State Treasury would pay a reward of 1 million PLN for identifying those responsible for the Odra River disaster. The appeal was answered by the Central Foundation, managed by Michał Zadara.

Representatives of the Foundation pointed out that those responsible for the Odra River pollution were the prime minister and provincial governors, as they oversaw the activities of state-owned mines. It was the highly saline mine water, discharged into the river under existing permits, that contributed to the increased bloom of golden algae and its catastrophic consequences for local ecosystems. Michał Zadara of the Central Foundation even stated on RDC radio that the mines treat the Odra River as a free sewage receiver.

Despite reporting the allegations to the police, the reward was never paid. The law firm representing the Foundation therefore filed a lawsuit in court.

The reward case in court

The Foundation’s findings were later confirmed by the conclusions of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK). In its extensive report, the NIK recommended that the government change the way mine wastewater is managed and strengthen water quality monitoring.

The lawsuit filed by the Central Foundation in the Warsaw District Court was based on Article 919 of the Civil Code, which clearly states that anyone who publicly promises a reward for performing a specific action is obliged to fulfill that promise. After reviewing the case in the first instance, the court ruled that the Foundation is entitled to the reward, adding that people must take responsibility for their words.

The State Treasury, represented by the General Prosecutor’s Office, is now required to pay the Central Foundation the full reward along with statutory interest and reimbursement of legal costs. However, it has the right to appeal the court’s decision within seven days.

Meanwhile, Michał Zadara, who collaborates with the Polish branch of Greenpeace, announced that the Central Foundation plans to allocate the received funds to cooperation with organizations working for river protection.