China has publicly accused dozens of firms, including some of its biggest state enterprises, of exceeding pollution limits and breaching monitoring standards. In lists published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, subsidiaries of state giants such as China Baowu Steel Group and the Aluminium Corporation of China, were cited and fined for breaching emissions standards among other violations. China has been increasing its supervision capabilities and has added thousands of factories into a real-time emissions monitoring system, but enforcement remains one of its biggest challenges. The ministry has continued to warn that China’s slowing economy had given some regions an excuse to “loosen their grip” on environmental protection. As well as being fined, the companies cited were told to restrict operations until problems were resolved. The biggest fine was to a wastewater treatment plant in Liaoning province, which was ordered to pay 7.2 million yuan.

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Reuters