China fines company $12m for polluting, jails staff

Beijing - A court in eastern China has fined a pesticide manufacturer $12 million and imprisoned employees of the company and its contractors for discharging waste water that severely polluted local streams.

State media reports on Tuesday said the Longyou county court levied the fine on Jinfanda Biochemical Co. which makes glyphosate. It was the largest ever fine for a polluter in Zhejiang province.

Beijing is vowing to enforce environmental laws and punish polluters. Rapid economic growth has caused severe environmental damage in China.

The county government said Jinfanda hired four unqualified companies that dumped 35 000 tons of hazardous waste into streams.

It said the court convicted the company on 18 May and fined it 75 million yuan. It also sentenced 18 defendants to prison for 17 months to six years.