Economic Trend News
- Govt. warns foreign polluters
Date: 20-Sep-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
CHINA warned it will impose equally harsh penalties on domestic and foreign companies after finding two overseas firms violating environmental rules in a random inspection, domestic media said Tuesday.
The inspection found earlier this year that Unilever China and the China branch of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. were discharging wastewater with a higher chemical content than permitted, the China Daily reported.
'We were surprised to find both companies had environmental pollution problems since they were the only two foreign companies selected at random for the inspection,'said Ren Longjiang, an official with the State Environmental Protection Administration.
'Environmental pollution caused by some foreign-owned companies has come to (our) attention and we will strengthen our supervision,'Ren said.
Unilever's plant in Hefei in the eastern province of Anhui was fined 100,000 yuan (US$13,300) and ordered to cut production to reduce discharge. It has also paid nearly 50,000 yuan for excessive discharges, the report said.
Analysts said that such a warning was likely to be driven by rising domestic concerns that foreign polluting industries were finding their way to China, thanks to lower costs and the country's pressing need to create jobs.
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