How well local officials have cared for environment must also be evaluated

THE SECOND INSPECTION TEAM sent by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to Luoyang in Central China's Henan province this month found a State-owned coal mining company had not stopped its polluting behavior as instructed after the first inspection. Instead, it has continued to discharge waste water directly into local rivers as before. Guangming Daily comments:

Local residents reported to the inspection team of the then Ministry of Environment in 2016 about the company's reckless polluting behavior, and the environmental watchdogs of various levels have ordered it to suspend production to treat its waste water properly 33 times over the past two years.

However, as the ministry says, because of the local government's protection, the company has paid no attention to the warnings and instructions. Let alone local people's complaints.