One of the world's biggest environmental services companies, Veolia Environnement, Wednesday reported a dramatic slump in profits after write-offs totalling millions of dollars, according to dpa. Profits for the first six months of 2009 fell 55 per cent from the same period last year to 220.3 million euros (315 million dollars), the French-based company announced in Paris. Waste management operations were particularly hard hit by the ongoing economic crisis, with the company writing off 100 million euros from its Italian operations and divestment of holdings. Turnover declined 0.8 per cent to 17.4 billion euros. Veolia, nevertheless, reaffirmed its business targets for the year and said it would weather the economic storm and continue to grow. "We are looking with optimism to the future," chief executive Henri Proglio said in a statement.
