Mainland legal experts say criminal charges should be levied against United States oil giant ConocoPhillips over the oil spills in the Bohai Sea.
The spills have yet to be resolved three months after their initial detection.
Criminal charges can be pressed in accordance with mainland marine environment and criminal laws when a company is found to be responsible for serious environmental damages that result in financial losses of more than 300,000 yuan (HK$365,000) in public or private assets.
That is according to Professor Wang Canfa of the China University of Political Science and Law.
'According to the State Oceanic Administration's (SOA) conclusion [last week], ConocoPhillips is responsible for the spills in the Bohai Sea that have polluted an area of over 5,000 square kilometres with direct economic losses far exceeding the 300,000 yuan benchmark,' he said.
Lawyer Zeng Xiangbin, who specialises in helping pollution victims, said the involvement of prosecutors in the affected coastal areas in Hebei and Liaoning would effectively increase pressure on ConocoPhillips and help the SOA gain the upper hand in its prolonged dispute with the American oil firm.
'It will also have positive implications for fish farmers' attempts to seek compensation from ConocoPhillips,' Zeng said.
