Ministry to oversee cleanup of dump sites in Hebei, Tianjin

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Tuesday that it will supervise the treatment and restoration of polluted dump sites in Langfang, Hebei province, and Tianjin's Jinghai district.

The move came three days after pictures of two large dumping pits in Langfang's Dacheng county went viral.

The two pits, measuring 170,000 and 30,000 square meters, accumulated waste of various types through years of illegal dumping of acidic waste and materials laced with heavy metals. The pollution has found its way into water and soil in the area, authorities said.