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Multinationals blacklisted for water pollution

By Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-27 08:39

Nestle Sources Shanghai Ltd's bottled water manufacturing plant also made the list for starting operation before its wastewater treatment facilities had passed an environmental impact assessment.

"These are only some of the water pollution violations committed by multinational companies in China, since our website has yet to cover information about air and solid waste pollution," Ma said.

"The parent companies in their home countries are models for environmental protection. But they have slackened their efforts in China."

Ma blamed the companies' pursuit of profits but also said China's weak law enforcement and public supervision left loopholes that invite violations.

This is the first time the public has come to know the companies are violators, he said, because official websites contained only sporadic information about polluters.

However, when Southern Weekend, a Guangzhou-based newspaper, checked with those companies, most of them reportedly justified the violations as "accidents," "oversight" or "having no alternatives."