A group of environmental protection organizations jointly released a second report on Wednesday, accusing 27 Apple Inc's manufacturers of pollution, 21cbh.com reported Wednesday.

An Apple store in Shanghai on Aug 30, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

Apple's public relations department said Tuesday that the company has no comment. The first report was released on Jan 20, but the company remained silent about the issue.

The iPhone4 touch screen manufacturer, Suzhou United Win (China) Technology Ltd, used N-hexane instead of alcohol for screen cleaning, and poisoned some workers in 2010.

One of Apple's major manufacturers, Meico Electronics (Wuhan) Co Ltd, was ordered by the Environment Protection Bureau of Wuhan city, Hubei province to stop its practice of discharging waste matter into lakes in 2009, nbd.com.cn reported earlier.

 

Apple to discuss suppliers' alleged pollution with NGO

The technology giant Apple Inc proposed on Wednesday to hold a conference call with various environmental protection organizations to discuss their recent findings about its suppliers, which are accused of emitting large amounts of pollution and threatening the public's health.

"We would be interested in hearing more specifics on what you have discovered about these suppliers," Apple's supplier responsibility department said in an e-mail.

The e-mail was sent to the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Beijing-based non-government organization (NGO), which is one of five organizations that carried out a 7-month investigation into pollution that has been released by Apple suppliers on the mainland. [Full story]

 

Environemntal threats from other companies

Conoco's oil leak claim not verified

ConocoPhillips China (COPC) said on Wednesday that it had sealed off leaks from an oil spill that polluted north China's Bohai Bay before the Aug 31 deadline. However, the claim has not been verified by China's maritime authority. [Full story]

 

Number of petro plants threaten environment of bay

Petrochemical projects near North China's Bohai Bay, including CNPC and Sinopec's plants, have been a boon to the local economy but pose a threat to the region's environment, experts warn. [Full story]

 

China exposes 10,000 groups in industries involving poisonous materials

China named and shamed more than 10,000 workshops and selling groups in dust and poisonous material-related industries last year in a bid to fight against occupational diseases, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH). [Full stroy]

 

Zijin Mining fined $4.6m for Fujian toxic spill

The Zijin Mining Group, one of China's biggest gold producers, has been ordered to pay 30 million yuan ($4.62 million) by a local court in Fujian province for a toxic spill last year that caused severe environmental pollution. [Full story]

 

Harbin Pharmaceutical Group fined for pollution

The environmental protection bureau in northeastern Heilongjiang province ordered Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, one of China's largest drug producers, to pay a fine of 1.23 million yuan ($191,626) for using facilities and discharging exhaust gas without meeting environmental requirements, improperly storing and burning toxic waste, said Chi Xiaode, director of the bureau, on Aug 11. [Full story]