Tough new law hits 350 polluters

The revised environmental protection law showed its teeth in its first two months, with more than 350 polluters receiving severe punishments, the national environmental watchdog said on Monday.

Considered the toughest measure against pollution to date, the new Environmental Protection Law, which took effect on Jan 1, levels stiff penalties on polluting companies, especially with its stipulations that polluters must pay daily fines for violations and with no ceiling on the total.

In the first two months of the year, 15 polluting companies were hit with daily fines, the largest one paying a total of 1.9 million yuan ($303,000). The total paid by the 15 reached 7.23 million yuan, which represented "a good beginning of the revised law", according to Pan Yue, the deputy minister of environmental protection, on Monday.