Crackdown on local polluters

Hundreds of companies and organizations have been ordered to clean up their polluting ways this month by authorities in Huangpu, Minhang and Songjiang districts.

The commands came after city-level environmental inspectors visited the districts on July 5 and required officials there to take action against rule breakers.

According to a report issued yesterday by the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau, district residents made 496 environmental-related complaints to inspectors during their visits. By Wednesday, 406 of these complaints had been resolved.

In total, 475 companies and groups in the three districts were order to make changes or improvements. Among these, 340 received fines totaling 51.5 million yuan (US$7.6 million).

Specifically, complaints were made against a construction-waste collection center on Xuejiabang Road in Huangpu for causing dust and noise pollution. Illegal parking by waste transport trucks also brought inconvenience to locals.

The center was mainly used by Shanghai Shunteng Construction Company to store construction waste from renovated houses.

Under the supervision of inspectors, Huangpu District’s landscaping and city appearance bureau suspended operation of the center this month. Some 2,000 tons of wastes were removed by July 12, and work is under way to relocate the center.

In Minhang District, gas discharges from a water purification plant were found to have exceeded allowable standards. The plant, located on Jiangchuan Road E., is affiliated with Shanghai Yangchen Drainage Operation Company.

Discharge standards were revised by environment authorities in 2016 and put into use this year. The company initially said it planned to shut the plant at the end of 2017, and therefore did not upgrade its gas discharge system.

The company was fined 600,000 yuan and ordered to halt its illegal discharges.