The top environmental watchdog has urged all listed companies to release key pollution information each year and vowed to step up oversight of industrial polluters after another heavy metal poisoning scandal.
After the nation's largest gold producer, Zijin Mining, allowed toxic chemicals to spill into a major waterway in Fujian, the Ministry of Environmental Protection lashed out at local watchdogs for failing to hold big businesses responsible for environmental problems.
'Some local environmental protection agencies have failed to carry out thorough investigation of listed companies,' it said in a directive posted on its website on Tuesday. 'And in some extreme cases, provincial watchdogs have acted beyond their authority to issue environmental endorsement for companies preparing for listing.'
It did not identify the provinces or companies involved.
According to a regulation jointly issued by the ministry and China Securities Regulatory Commission, enterprises in heavily polluting industries must seek environmental approval before listing and are subject to regular scrutiny afterwards.
The ministry said it would establish an environmental review and reporting mechanism for listed companies and would soon publish a list of companies that had met environmental standards since 2005.
