Two men to face charges for polluting

SHANGHAI - Prosecutors in this city's Songjiang district have approved the formal arrest of two men suspected of dumping acid directly into a river and causing severe pollution.

The two suspects, surnamed Jiang and Dong, dumped 60 tons of waste acid into the Honghe River in the Songjiang district between February and March. They are the first suspects arrested for an environmental pollution offense after new rules contained in Amendment VIII to the Criminal Law were enacted on May 1.

Since 2009, Jiang, 55, had been entrusted with disposing and recycling waste acid produced by six chemical companies. The companies paid him from 50 yuan to 55 yuan ($7.7-8.5) for each ton of the waste he collected.