China’s new pollution law punishes 350 offenders in first two months

BEIJING - China’s new Environmental Protection Law, which took effect on January 1, is considered China’s toughest measure against pollution to date, with stiff penalties on polluting companies including a condition that polluters must pay daily fines for violations - with no set ceiling on the total.

More than 350 polluters have received severe punishments in the first two months of 2015, according to the nation’s environmental watchdog: 15 polluting companies were hit with daily fines, the largest one paying a total of RM 1.9 million (USD303,000).

These companies have complained that these strict measures are “suffocating” them, but the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, Pay Yue, says the penalties “will work to force companies to adopt new technologies”.  www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).