The Jiangsu Provincial Higher People's Court in China's eastern
province has fined six companies 160m yuan (£16.6m; $26m) for polluting rivers,
state media report. The Xinhua news agency said the fine was the highest ever
in China as a result of public interest litigation against polluters. The
companies were found guilty in August of discharging 25,000 tonnes of chemical
waste into two Taizhou rivers.
Taizhou Intermediate People's
Court had already given jail terms to fourteen people involved in the pollution
but the companies, which have not been named, appealed against the fines, said
the Xinhua agency. The court has rejected all of these appeals, and has
ordered the companies to pay the fines to an environmental protection fund
within the next 30 days.
China's rapid economic growth has caused widespread environmental damage, and the country is facing international pressure to clean up its environment and an increasing number of local protests concerning pollution. The government says that around 70% of China's lakes and rivers are polluted. The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says the record fine will be welcomed by environmentalists as a sign that the government is finally prepared to get tough on polluters.
Record Chinese fine for pollution http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-30640385
China's rapid economic growth has caused widespread environmental damage, and the country is facing international pressure to clean up its environment and an increasing number of local protests concerning pollution. The government says that around 70% of China's lakes and rivers are polluted. The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says the record fine will be welcomed by environmentalists as a sign that the government is finally prepared to get tough on polluters.
Record Chinese fine for pollution http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-30640385
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