Higher officials to take blame when environmental plans go wrong

When departments act inappropriately in implementing directions approved by a higher authority, it is the higher authority that should be responsible for the effects, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Tuesday.

The new regulation on environmental supervision and inspection defines the liabilities among different levels of environmental protection authorities. The officials or bureaus who approved the illegal or inappropriate directions or projects should be held accountable in the future instead of those who carry them out.

The environmental protection departments have exposed 19,289 cases involving pollution that have resulted in fines totaling 74 million yuan ($12.1 million) in the first six months of this year, based on the announcement from the ministry.