Beijing issues fines for polluters

Beijing has handed out fines totaling 14.5 million yuan ($2.3 million) for violations of environmental protection regulations during the first four months of this year, 73.9 percent of which are related to air pollution, authorities said Sunday.

Environmental inspection authorities in Beijing have inspected all kinds of polluting entities for more than 20,000 times. A total of 652 illegal activities have been penalized, including 500 cases of air pollution with accumulated fines of 10.76 million yuan, according to the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

"The amount is twice as high as for the same period last year," Zhong Chonglei, chief officer at the Bureau's supervision department, said at a press conference on Sunday.

Administrative punishments have been slapped for 178 illegal activities and all violators were brought to light online and through media. Beijing Yueju Heating Company in Miyun county received the biggest fine of 200,000 yuan for manipulating emissions data for one of its coal-fired boilers.

According to the regulation, authorities can hand out fines of up to 500,000 yuan and can impose additional daily fines on wrong-doers who don't pay on time.

In the first week of every month, authorities focus on inspections of specific air polluters based on the city's air quality, after the regulation took effect in March. Furniture and water-proof materials manufacturers are under the spotlight in May, as the two industries will be closely watched for emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

A manager surnamed Chen with a furniture factory in Haidian district told the Global Times that environmental inspections often involve many aspects including VOC emission and flying dust control.

"Inspections are all random and there is no advance notice," Chen noted.

Authorities handled 66 cases reported through 12369, the hotline of the Ministry of Environmental Protection in January, including 52 illegal activities. Thirty-one of them were related to air pollution, reported the Xinhua News Agency.

Li Zuojun, a deputy director at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that punishments are the most effective method to combat pollution.

"Polluters must be treated equally and held responsible for their wrongdoings. This is just a beginning of the battle against pollution. More comprehensive measures involving different departments need to be taken in the future," said Li.

Premier Li Keqiang in March vowed to launch a war against pollution as the nation suffered from choking smog in the winter, which has become a major environmental and health concern.