Guangdong has given 50 companies in the southern China province yellow or red warning cards for the first time for failing to meet an environmental protection credit review, according to the provincial environmental watchdog.

The Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau reviewed 164 key polluting companies from the fourth quarter of 2006 to the third quarter of last year. It reviewed such items as pollution control, legal awareness and public monitoring, among others.

Local environmental authorities will strengthen their monitoring and inspection of blacklisted companies, which include breweries, sewage treatment and petrochemical companies.

They will order serious polluters to improve pollutant treatment facilities within a required period and charge them a fee for discharging excessive pollutants.

Those who fail to fulfil the treatment target in the set period will be ordered to halt production or be closed by the local government, according to the bureau.

The environmental authorities will also advise the country's securities regulators not to approve stock market initial public offerings or the refinancing applications of offending companies.

The bureau said it will include more companies into its environmental protection credit review system to enhance monitoring.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2008)