Officials caught protecting polluters

Inspectors fix problems in parts of Fujian, Liaoning and Hunan

Central environmental inspectors revealed severe pollution problems in Fujian, Liaoning and Hunan provinces, showing that some cities failed to regulate pollution and even protected the polluting companies, the nation's top environmental authority said on Monday.

This round of high-level inspections, launched by the State Council in April, have reviewed how governments implemented the rules in fighting the country's war on pollution in the three provinces. The performance of some cities was disappointing, leading to deterioration of the environment and large pollution risks, the inspectors said.