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Environment watchdog warns of weak smog responses, illegal discharges

Xinhua, November 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Inspections have found inadequate smog responses and illegal discharges in certain cities amid ongoing heavy air pollution, environment authorities announced Saturday.

Eight air quality inspection teams dispatched to cities, including Hebei's Shijiazhuang and Langfang as well as Shandong's Jinan, by the Ministry of Environmental Protection have discovered several problems that are increasing pollution, the ministry said.

The problems include businesses' failure to cut discharges in response to air pollution alerts, weak supervision from governments, frequent illegal discharges from steel, coal and coke plants, and a lack of anti-pollution measures in small enterprises.

Since Thursday, heavy air pollution has hit several areas, such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan and Shandong, and many cities affected have issued yellow or red alerts for air pollution, according to the ministry.

The ministry has urged local authorities to investigate and deal with the violations. Endi