(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-03 23:15

A total of 1,162 companies and projects had been blacklisted by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) by August 17 since it started a national campaign in July to tackle water pollution.

Pan Yue, vice director of SEPA, said 400 out of the 1,162 companies and projects have been closed down and the others have been suspended or fined.

Pan said the campaign was aimed at adjusting the industrial structure in the vicinity of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River and the Haihe River to curb environmental pollution along the rivers.

However, he said it is far from enough just to close some projects.

"A comprehensive environmental protection system should be established to limit the development of industries with high energy consumption and high pollution," he said.

He said an evaluation system for local officials should be established in which the officials' performance in environmental protection will be measured.

"Before the establishment of the system, SEPA will strengthen inspection and supervision over the areas where there have been companies and projects with high pollution," Pan said.

Some 112 local policies and regulations which contradicted environmental protection laws and regulations have also been abolished during the campaign, Pan said.