BEIJING: China has adopted a restorative justice approach to handling environmental pollution cases as part of efforts to enhance its ecological governance system, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said.
In the first half of this year, 1,597 individuals were prosecuted in 668 cases for environmental pollution offenses, according to the top procuratorate. It said that environmental pollution crimes present a mix of old and new challenges, requiring comprehensive strategies and intensified governance efforts.
In February, the top procuratorate launched a special nationwide operation focused on addressing livelihood issues, including the protection of the environment and natural resources, which will run until December.
The rapid pace of industrialization and urbanization has led to an increase in solid waste production, particularly hazardous waste, in certain areas.
Some enterprises, facing insufficient disposal capacity and high costs, resort to illegally transferring hazardous waste to other regions or provinces, causing soil, water and air pollution, the top procuratorate said.
In a recent case, a man surnamed Zhang, lacking the required waste disposal qualifications, accepted construction and untreated domestic waste in a rented forest area in Beijing’s Fangshan district from 2020 to July 2021. Furthermore, he hired individuals to work at the site and collected dumping fees.
The Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate said the total weight of the illegally dumped waste reached nearly 449,000 metric tons, severely damaging the land’s original functions and vegetation.
The costs for cleaning, disposal and environmental restoration, along with the loss of ecological services, amounted to over 138 million yuan ($19.3 million). –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
