Tengger case shows even big firms can't escape penalty for polluting

PASSING THE VERDICT in the Tengger Desert pollution case, the Intermediary People's Court of Zhongwei, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, said on Monday that the eight polluting enterprises should pay 569 million yuan ($86 million) for the restoration of the contaminated soil and another 6 million yuan to a public welfare fund for environmental damage. Beijing News comments:

Since the fine is the highest imposed on environmental polluters in China, it will help raise people's environmental awareness. This is the first time multiple polluters have been penalized in a single environmental case.

The verdict should also come as a warning to those polluters who believe several big enterprises are not likely to be penalized in one environmental case, because they are growth engines, big taxpayers, and often enjoy local government protection.