China's polluters to face large fines under law change

China's legislature has voted to adopt revisions to the country's environmental law, introducing tougher penalties for polluters.

The reviews are the first changes to the legislation in 25 years, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The revised law has 70 articles while the existing one has 47 and the changes will come into affect from January 1, 2015.

Companies and industries found to be in breach of environmental standards will face stricter penalties "an important principle of the new legislation," according to Xinhua. Companies will be named and shamed for breaking environmental protection laws while individuals in charge of companies found to be in breach will face up to 15 days in prison.

There are specific articles on tackling the country's air pollution problems. Many of China's cities are plagued with lung-choking smog on a regular basis due the reliance on coal. The new revisions also call for improved environmental monitoring.

The revised law sets no limits on the fines imposed on polluters. Previously in some cases the fines were so low it was cheaper to violate environmental limits than install pollution-reducing equipment. This was an issue that some lawmakers brought up during discussions on the new revisions.

Local governments will also be held responsible and officials can be either fired or demoted if they found guilty of covering up environmental breaches or not making environmental information public.

The revised law also calls on the Chinese public to "adopt a low-carbon and frugal lifestyle and perform environmental protection duties". The law calls on the public to make efforts such as sorting rubbish for recycling.

For decades China has pursued economic growth to the detriment of the country's environment. The revised law is one of a number of measures the government has taken recently that shows it is taking environmental damage seriously. The revised law states that economic development should be "coordinated" with environmental protection, an indication that the government may be looking for more balanced approach to economic growth and environmental protection.

In March President Xi Jinping "declared war" on pollution. Addressing the opening session of the National People's Congress, China's largely rubber-stamp parliament, Xi said pollution is "nature's red-light warning against the model of inefficient and blind development".

The government recently released more environmental data, giving an insight into the scale of the problems facing China. A recent official report estimated that 16% of China's soil and 20% of farmland is polluted. The report was based on an extensive survey, the results of which were previously deemed a state secret.

This week the government said that nearly 60% of the country's groundwater is polluted. The land and resources ministry found that among 4,778 testing spots in 203 cities, 44% had "relatively poor" underground water quality and the groundwater in another 15.7% tested as "very poor".