Big-name companies conceal pollution info

Environmental group Greenpeace on Tuesday criticized 18 leading companies from both home and abroad for concealing polluting information - a violation of Chinese regulations.

Eight of the world's top 500 companies including Shell, Samsung and Nestle, and 10 major Chinese companies, including industry leaders such as PetroChina and Shenhua, failed to publish pollution details after they were found guilty of irregularities in discharging sewage, Greenpeace reported.

The list also includes a smelting company - owned by Hunan Nonferrous Metals - that discharged excessive toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium and arsenic, without disclosing the information.