1. Anyone who, contravening the laws or other general provisions protecting the environment, directly or indirectly causes or carries out emissions, discharges, radiation, extractions or excavations, landfilling, noise, vibrations, injections or deposits in the atmosphere, soil, subsoil or terrestrial, underground or marine waters, including the high seas, with an impact even on transboundary spaces, as well as water intakes that, by themselves or together with others, cause or may cause substantial damage to the quality of the air, soil or water, or to animals or plants, shall be punished with imprisonment for six months to two years, a fine of ten to fourteen months and special disqualification from profession or trade for a period of one to two years.
2. If the aforementioned conduct, either alone or in conjunction with other actions, could seriously harm the balance of natural systems, a prison sentence of two to five years, a fine of eight to twenty-four months, and special disqualification from practicing a profession or trade for a period of one to three years shall be imposed.
If a risk of serious harm to human health has been created, the prison sentence shall be imposed in its upper half, and may be increased to the next higher degree.