Polluting enterprises will pay the cost ( 2003-11-07 23:19) (China Daily)
Chemical companies caught discharging pollutants illegally are now paying the
price for their crimes.
Xinhua News reported that most companies recently ordered to suspend
production due to the pollutants they released have taken action to address the
costly problem.
Wuxue Weiye Chemical Plant in Central China's Hubei Province was one of those
that paid a great price for its illegal discharge of pollutants, according to
plant director Zhang Qun.
He said his factory had lost 2 million yuan (US$241,000) after it was asked
to suspend production while it improved its discharge controls.
In the meantime, the firm's rivals had taken over its share of the domestic
market, he said. The plant's indirect economic losses were difficult to
estimate.
To make up the losses, the director said his factory had injected 2 million
yuan (US$241,000) into updating its facilities for discharging wastewater.
Minfeng Chemical Holdings in Chongqing in Southwest China has also paid
greatly for its disregard of the environment.
The company had been punished many times by local environmental protection
departments because it discharged wastewater containing toxic chromium into
nearby rivers, according to the Xinhua report.
The company's sales dropped sharply after it was put on the list of polluting
enterprises by the State Administration of Environmental Protection, the report
said.
The economic losses from suspending production and administrative penalties
forced the company to deal with its pollution problems, the report said.
Company sources said they had decided to close an outdated production line
which had been in use for 45 years and were building a plant to process
wastewater.
