China tightens handling of environmental violations

The Ministry of Environmental Protection on Friday highlighted "the chain of liabilities" in typical environmental violations, including supervisors who should have uncovered and reported cases.

A document titled "Crucial Points for 2015 National Environmental Supervision Work" also stressed that various punishments, including fines, the impounding funds or facilities, manufacturing restraints, operation suspension and administrative detention, should be strictly implemented, and the Environmental Protection Law must be used "fully and precisely."

Spelling out responsibilities of companies, supervisory organs and local governments in environmental misconduct, the document noted that groups or individuals that fail to carry out effective law enforcement, or even shield or connive with violators, will be harshly punished.

In a separate statement also released Friday, the ministry revealed environmental misconduct by six companies in the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Henan spotted in an inspection prompted by possible heavy air pollution in Beijing and neighboring regions later this month.

The wrongdoings involved outdated factory facilities still in use secretly and operations without government-mandated supervisory devices or discharge processing equipment.

The ministry has told the companies in question to correct the problem while handing the cases to local administrative organs for punishments.