Environmental inspectors are involved in an uphill struggle against polluting companies. They say local protectionism and light punishments for violations are hindering efforts to counter widespread pollution.

There has even been violence against inspectors; each year, about 120 assaults take place, along with 4,000 incidents in which inspectors encounter intentional barriers.

The campaign against polluters started in April, a joint move by six ministries, including the State Environmental Protection Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Supervision. It is the second year for them to carry out such action.

In recent years, complaints by the general public about environmental problems have increased 20 percent annually and the number of telephone complaints was up 330,000 last year, said Wang Jirong, State Environmental Protection Administration vice-minister.

According to Chen Shanrong, from the administration’s Environment Supervision and Inspection Bureau, 470,000 companies had been inspected by the end of September.

About 23,000 cases involving violations were filed, with more than 5,000 companies shut down, and 3,000 ordered to stop production.

Meanwhile, 4,500 companies have been required to make improvements within a limited period.

In addition, about 3,100 spotlighted problems in which water quality, air quality and noise affected people’s daily lives.

However, Chen said one-third of cases have not been concluded. He called on government at all levels to make sure that each of them is dealt with.

It was also found that half of existing sewage treatment plants are not operating normally. Chen said many of them do not have compatible sewage collection systems.

Lu Xinyuan, head of the bureau, said similar actions against polluting companies can be traced back to 2001.

In the past four years, about 10,000 companies were shut down or ordered to stop production and take pollution treatment measures.

However, about 50 percent of such companies reappear, sometimes with even more serious pollution problems, he said.

Small companies such as cement, papermaking and coal-burning power plants, which use outdated techniques, consume large quantities of energy and result in serious pollution.

And some big companies do not use their pollution-treatment facilities and illegally discharge pollutants.

The fines that authorities levy on polluters are far less than the profits such companies earn.

Currently, the highest fine is 1 million yuan (US$120,000) for those who cause very serious pollution, such as a chemical fertilizer plant that caused pollution on the Tuojiang River in Sichuan Province in February and March.

The accident caused economic losses of 300 million yuan (US$36 million).

Local protectionism is another contributor to the rampancy of pollution, Lu said.

Many projects that should not be approved are built just because of the support of local governments, who pursue economic growth without paying attention to environmental protection.

Lu suggested that environmental authorities should be given the right to stop projects’ approval and that the maximum fine on polluters be raised.

Lu also said that some local governments do not punish those who assault inspectors severely enough, effectively condoning them.