Some 379 paper mills, lime plants and starch workshops in east
China's Anhui Province have been shut down for emitting excessive
pollution over the past five years.
According to the provincial environmental protection bureau,
some 2,362 other industrial polluters in the province were fined or
asked to stop production with the aim of improving environment
quality and promote pollution treatment.
During the tenth Five-Year Program period (2001-2005), the
province launched a number of major drives to crack down on heavy
polluters and reverse the trend of environmental degradation.
The province has sent 4,860 official teams to nearly 5,000
enterprises and firms across the province, carrying investigation
into and supervision of issues on environment.
The paper mills that failed to meet the environmental standards
were closed down or ordered to suspend production. Personnel
responsible for the pollution were given administrative
punishment.
The State Environmental Protection Administration issued a
statement last June, urging local governments to continue fight
against polluters and close down those severely polluted rivers and
damaged the surrounding environment.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2006)