China's environmental watchdog has investigated 1.41 million companies suspected of polluting the environment since the new environmental protection law was implemented at the beginning of last year.

Environmental authorities found 46,800 companies with illegal waste-discharging activities and 63,700 with illegal construction projects. A total of 47,000 were fined and 17,000 were shut down, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

"The newly revised law has imposed strict controls on various polluting sources, and clear emission limits for different pollutants provide the ministry with solid legal support to take harsh enforcement measures," said Vice-Minister Pan Yue.

In the last year, local environmental protection bureaus in 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have cooperated with public security organs, people's courts and people's procuratorates to enhance law enforcement, according to the ministry.

While many heavily polluting enterprises have upgraded facilities for production, efforts made by ministries "are helpful to further tackle pollution problems", according to Pan.

In early August, 56 illegal coal mines without permits in Hohhot, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, were forced to shut down.

A law enforcement team of more than 100 investigators from various agencies facilitated the process, which set an example for other places, according to the ministry.

Cooperation among top ministries will be enhanced in the future, according to Pan.

On Dec 24, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Public Security and the Supreme People's Procuratorate launcheda joint investigation in an environmental case in which a petrochemical factory in Jingjiang, Jiangsu province, is suspected of illegally burying hazardous waste underground.

The local government was subsequently urged by the Ministry of Environmental Protection to investigate the issue and start ecological restoration of the area.

The case marked the first time the top ministries worked together on an investigation.

wangyanfei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/05/2016 page5)