China's Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Thursday that over 110 companies in northeastern China will be severely punished by the government for failing to reduce pollution, according to a report by China Daily.
Three of the companies had failed to cut pollution byproducts under the emergency response ordered by the government. The order was a reaction to severe haze that hit the region.
The information was revealed on Thursday by Zou Shoumin, head of the ministry's Environmental Inspection Bureau.
"We found that small and private companies had more problems than these three firms and that 15 companies out of the total failed to control air pollution emissions while providing heating services because they lacked facilities," said Zou.
An additional 100 small companies in Fushun, Liaoning Province, were discovered to have released pollutants directly into the air, worsening air quality. Zou said that these heavy polluters will be severely penalized.
In recent days, the ministry has carried out inspections in three northeastern provinces that have experienced severe smog, namely, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.
"The inspections will continue, with tougher penalties to deter polluters and improve air quality," said Zou.
Since the ministry has tightened supervision of major sources of pollution on Saturday, Nov. 7, air quality has improved in the three northeastern provinces. The ministry is specifically targeting industrial production and vehicle manufacturing.
While the number of cities on Saturday with major air pollution was 24, the count on Thursday, Nov. 12, as of 10 a.m. was 12.
Luo Yi, head of the ministry's Environmental Monitoring Department, said that residents of most areas in the three northeastern provinces may see clear skies and experience good air quality by Tuesday, Nov. 17.