In an effort to bring rampant pollution under control, China on
Friday re-interpreted laws to make it easier to convict polluters
and officials responsible for environmental crises.
According to a new interpretation handed down by the Supreme
People's Court (SPC), polluters and negligent officials responsible
for environmental incidents that cause even a single death can be
convicted.
Convictions are also possible in cases where at least three
people receive serious wounds, or?10 get minor wounds, the
interpretations said.
If convicted, the accused face prison sentences of up to three
years.
If three or more people are killed in an environmental accident,
those responsible can be imprisoned for three to seven years,
according to the new interpretations.
The severe prison terms also apply to people convicted of
causing environmental accidents that injure more than 30 people,
seriously injure at least?10 people or cause the evacuation of
10,000 to 50,000 people.
Convicts will also face terms of up to seven years if
environmental incidents lead to the spread of contagious diseases
such as H5N1 bird flu, SARS, plague, cholera or anthracnose.
Currently, China's environmental laws target people who cause
major pollution to the air, water, or soil, people who dump
environmentally dangerous foreign waste in China, and officials
whose slack administration contributes to major environmental
crises.
Prison terms are usually less than three years, with three to
seven years terms reserved for serious violations.
China is waging a fierce battle to control environmental damage
caused by the surging economy, with pollution costing an estimated
10 percent of gross domestic product.
In 2005, 97.1 percent of all environmental mishaps involved the
release of pollution, and 27 officials involved in seven pollution
incidents were prosecuted and convicted, according to official
figures.
Also in last year, China's former environmental chief Xie
Zhenhua resigned over failure in controlling Songhua River
pollution, one of China's biggest environmental accidents since
1949, that forced millions of people to live without tap water for
several days.
Last Sunday, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called for national efforts to curb
water pollution, saying the environment prices China has paid for
rapid economic growth were too high.
The government earlier has announced that it will invest 1.4
trillion yuan (US$175 billion) in environmental protection between
2006 and 2010. The money will be spent on water pollution control,
urban air quality maintenance, solid waste disposal and soil
erosion prevention.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2006)