A court in eastern China has sentenced eight people to up to four and a half years in prison each for mismanaging and attempting to cover up a high-profile chemical spill last year, The Beijing News reported Friday.

In November, 69 tons of C9 fraction — a byproduct of oil refining that is potentially harmful to humans — spilled into the sea by the coastal city of Quanzhou as a vessel was transporting the chemical from a factory owned by Fujian Donggang Petrochemical Industry Company to a tanker ship docked at a local harbor. The company initially told the local government that just 6.9 tons of the chemical had leaked — but the cover-up was soon exposed, triggering a wave of backlash from Quanzhou residents and the wider public.

Eight people, including Fujian Donggang’s legal representative and staff in charge of transporting the C9 fraction, were arrested and prosecuted, and several local officials were held accountable for dereliction of duty.

At Friday’s trial, the eight were sentenced to between 18 and 54 months in prison. The legal representative was also barred from working in a work safety-related role for a four-year period following his release from prison. (Image: IC)