Recently, according to information from Qichacha.com, Kunming Firmenich Flavor Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Kunming Firmenich”) was fined 71,400 yuan ($9789.4) by the Kunming Ecological Environment Bureau for violating water pollution prevention and control regulations.
According to the environmental penalty document, on May 10, 2023, the Kunming Environmental Inspection Detachment conducted an on-site inspection of Kunming Firmenich and found the following environmental issues:
First, the sampling probe of Kunming Firmenich’s wastewater discharge outlet was wrapped in a metal filter net.
Second, during on-site testing, it was found that the sampling device of Kunming Firmenich for monitoring ammonia nitrogen exceeded the standard, and it failed to achieve the requirement of retaining the exceeded samples, as stipulated in the “Technical Specification for Operation of Water Pollution Source Online Monitoring Systems (CODCR, NH3-N, etc.)” (HJ355-2019), Section 5.4.1 (the automatic sampling unit for water quality should be able to collect instantaneous water samples and composite water samples, mix and temporarily store water samples, automatically rinse and empty the mixing bucket, and retain samples).
Third, the accuracy assessment of the COD analyzer used by the company exceeded the requirement of a relative error not exceeding ±10% as specified in the “Technical Specification for Operation of Water Pollution Source Online Monitoring Systems (CODCR, NH3-N, etc.)” (HJ355-2019).
Based on the above, the Kunming Ecological Environment Bureau ordered Kunming Firmenich to rectify the above-mentioned issues and imposed a fine of 71,400 yuan.
It is understood that Kunming Firmenich is a joint venture established by Firmenich Trading Company and Kunming Flavor Factory Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of $19.4 million and was established in May 1995. In terms of equity structure, Firmenich Trading Company is the major shareholder with a 80% investment share.
