enforcement

China arrested 186 people on charges of environmental pollution in 2013 in a total of 109 cases, environment minister Zhou Shengxian announced on Thursday.

He did not reveal how many were convicted.

Environmental authorities shut down more than 3,500 companies and workshops in a nationwide campaign last year, uncovering 6,499 cases involving environmental problems, he said.

A total of 706 cases related to environmental rule violations were transferred to police last year, more than the total of the previous 10 years combined, according to Zhou.

A high-powered committee set up by the LG recently has listed a slew of measures to counter air pollution in the city. Key recommendations include linking the pollution under control (PUC) and vehicle registration databases so that notices are issued automatically to violators, upgrading the PUC system to track polluting vehicles and directing the traffic department to crack the whip on visibly polluting vehicles.

On May 16 environmental activist Ramesh Agrawal underwent yet another surgery at Bombay Hospital, on his left thigh, where he was shot in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, in July 2012. The attack happened three months after the environmental clearance to Jindal Steel & Power's coal mining project in Raigarh district, which Agrawal had campaigned against, was revoked. JSPL has denied allegations of its involvement. Agrawal was awarded the $175,000 Goldman Environmental Prize last month. ET Magazine met him at the hospital. Excerpts from an interview:

DUE to mounting complaints from motorists over alleged cases of extortion, the Makati city government suspends its anti-smoke belching operations.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay on Tuesday ordered the suspension of the operations of the Makati Pollution and Control Office (MPCO) also because of the failure of its enforcers to comply with the implementing guidelines of the local vehicle emission code and the Clean Air Act or Republic Act 8749.

Binay has directed the Office of the City Administrator, headed by Atty. Eleno Mendoza, to conduct a thorough investigation of the complaints.

THE Petaling Jaya City Council plans to ban the use of styrofoam food containers in stages starting from January next year.

To start with, operators at foodcourts managed by the council will be encouraged to use bio-degradable food containers.

The move is part of the council’s aim to become a low-carbon city.

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Health and Environment Department director Dr Chitra Devi N. Vadivellu said styrofoam food containers were detrimental to both humans and the environment.

Environmental protection efforts will be expanded to the skies following the decision to launch the Aerial Jungle Monitoring Programme early next year, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said.

The Cabinet had agreed during its meeting last week to provide RM2mil to fund the programme, which is aimed at improving enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, said Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

The aerial patrols would keep tabs on development projects that are carried out in the jungle.

The maximum compound for those flouting the Environment Protection Environment Enactment 2002 has been increased.

The State Assembly passed the Environment Protection (Amendment) Enactment 2012 on Wednesday that, among others, upped compounds by up to 50 per cent from the present maximum compounds for offences stated in the enactment.

Tabling the Bill, State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the compound for example those found starting works without the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report had been raised to RM50,000 from RM20,000 presently.

The government may fine the Philippine's biggest miner Philex Mining Corp at least 1 billion pesos ($24 million) for leaks out of its now shut Padcal gold and copper mine, the environment minister said on Tuesday.

Water and sediment from the mine are flowing to a river supplying water to a major power plant on the main Luzon island and the company, the country's top gold and copper miner, is struggling to contain the leaks which began last month, said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje.

 As part of the preparatory process for the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (dubbed Rio+20) to be held in Rio de Janeiro in mid-2012, over 600 organizations have made submissions for inclusion in the "compilation document" which will be used to draft the final "outcome document".  The second intersessional being held in New York, during December 2011, will review the compilation document and agree on the outline of the draft outcome document.

 According to the UN, more than 20 provinces in Thailand&n