Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has been fined $450 million for pollution in Brazil

Source: the growing environmental pressure of Beijing Business Daily on May 12, 2014 is a headache for pharmaceutical companies A local labor court in Brazil has fined Lilly and its local subsidiaries about 450 million US dollars (2.8 billion yuan) Lilly was severely punished for heavy metal poisoning among former factory workers found in a previous blood test According to Brazilian media reports, Lilly opened a pharmaceutical factory in kosmopolis, the inland city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 1970 to 2003 During the operation of the pharmaceutical plant, there are problems of soil and water pollution caused by waste, resulting in physical and mental damage to more than 60 workers In 2004, Lilly acknowledged heavy metal contamination in the area where the plant is located Last week, a Brazilian court ruled that Lilly and the Brazilian antibiotic pharmaceutical company, which continues to operate at Lilly's original site, were responsible for the damage to the local soil and needed to pay for years of medical treatment for heavy metal pollution In response, Lilly said that during the operation of the plant, it has been concerned about the change of local soil and water quality, and confirmed that the problem of excessive heavy metals in the local area will not affect the health of local residents Lilly also said it was likely to appeal the ruling of the Brazilian labor court Industry analysts point out that environmental pollution has been plaguing global pharmaceutical companies Previously, a number of pharmaceutical giants, including Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, have been punished for environmental issues The punishment of multinational pharmaceutical companies abroad should also give warning to domestic pharmaceutical companies Experts in the industry have analyzed that in the next five years, the environmental protection pressure of domestic pharmaceutical enterprises will become more and more serious In 2014, relevant national departments are more likely to issue new environmental protection and emission requirements.