A Spanish coal mine operator was sentenced to four years in jail for environmental harm.

MADRID (Reuters) – The Supreme Court of Spain affirmed a four-year jail term and a fine of €24 million ($26.44 million) imposed on a local businessman for environmental damage caused while running an open-pit coal mine in northern Spain.

According to a court document issued on Friday, Victorino Alonso, owner of mining business Coto Minero Cantabrico, lost his appeal against a lower court verdict that punished him for environmental damage at the “Nueva Julia” mine in the Castile and Leon area.

Between 2007 and 2010, Alonso had a permission to utilise the mine, but the court determined that he exploited over 19 hectares (47 acres) of protected terrain for which he had no authorization.

According to the court, the mine’s activities destroyed almost 400 hectares of land, and Alonso made no attempt to fix it.

“The impact is of such magnitude that signs are visible to the naked eye, such as topographical changes, soil and vegetation destruction, the presence of tailings dumps, or debris blocking stream beds,” the court said.

Alonso previously said in court that he was unaware of the magnitude of the harm inflicted by his firm.

Minero Siderurgica de Ponferrada was the former name for Coto Minero Cantabrico. It declared bankruptcy in 2013.