Company punished after environmental scandal

BEIJING - Authorities have ordered a wall material company in north China's Shanxi province to suspend operations following media reports exposing its environmental misconduct and violent actions to stimy reporters.

Official investigations following reports in September confirmed that the company under the Shanxi Ju Yi Industrial Group Co Ltd released excessive and untreated gas in its two underground stores, according to a Monday statement from the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Also, the company's security workers pushed reporters, broke a video camera and looted their press cards, the statement said.

The company will remain out of operation until environmental protection departments approve their rectifications within a deadline, or it will be shut down altogether, said the statement, citing the government of Lingshi County, where the company is located.

In addition, security worker Cui Zhiqiang was fired by the company and is in police detention on criminal charges, while three officials in the county's environmental protection bureau received punishments ranging from warnings to being sacked.