Beijing levies fines 83m yuan for pollution

BEIJING - Beijing issued fines worth over 83 million yuan ($12.6 million) during a 100-day campaign against pollution, environmental protection authorities said Thursday.

More than 7,700 cases of air, water and soil pollution were found in the campaign that lasted from April to July, Zhao Zhiwei of the Beijing municipal environment inspection team told a press conference.

Nearly 6,000 high-emission vehicles were included in the cases, said Zhao.

Suspects in 15 cases, mostly for illegal discharge of ore tailings, would face criminal charges, he said.

The campaign combined efforts of environmental protection, public security, urban management, land and resources, housing and urban-rural development, water, safety supervision and agricultural departments, among others.

The campaign was in response to an inspection carried out by the central government late last year, in which a series of problems were found.