The China’s Supreme People’s Court has tightened the noose around polluting businesses as a new regulation passed by it, makes it easier for NGOs to sue polluters, and making it imperative for textile manufacturers to invest in robust pollution control measures. The aim of the new amendments is to reduce legal obstacles facing green groups. Further, lawsuits against polluters will now be dealt by intermediate people’s courts with greater capacity, instead of local courts.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) will target projects without EIA approval; inappropriate pollution control equipment; companies that lack or exceed pollution discharge permits; companies that make use of illegal discharge methods, and companies that supply false data, etc. Earlier, these violations would warrant a one-off fine, defined for each pollutant by national or local government authorities. Under the new law, however, the penalty will be the same violation fee (as before) but multiplied by the number of days until the violations are corrected.
