tetraethyl lead (thing)

If you followed this from the 'technology is evil' node (;-) then I would agree, this stuff kills marine life and was eventually replaced by a more benign compound. In general companies that are forced (eventually) to pay fines for environmental damage pay the 1,000 notes (or however little it is) and get on with doing it again. Only very large (punative) fines would really prevent industrial waste.