The State Environmental Protection Administration plans to crack down on steel producers that cause serious ecological problems in Hebei Province's Tangshan region.

Pan Yue, vice-minister of the administration, said the environment is being damaged by officials who ignore environmental protection measures.

He said prosperity cannot be built at the cost of the environment, which must be a priority when promoting sustainable development of the regional economy.

The serious pollution has led to complaints from local residents.

Working on a tip-off, the country's environmental watchdog dispatched a group to inspect several enterprises in the region and the result was shocking.

The investigation revealed that all seven steel companies that have been examined lacked environmental protection approval and were built illegally.

Also, as none of the factories had facilities to deal with pollutants, drainage was also a problem.

Much of the production equipment used was out of date and prohibited by the State.

To make things worse, some enterprises are establishing inefficient producing facilities.

Pan said that these companies naturally go after maximum profits.

The local steel industry has been booming since 2000.

While local officials hail fast economic growth, they often overlook the polluted environment and damaged ecology, Pan said.

China has laws on environmental protection, but they have not been fully adhered to or effectively enforced by local government officials for a long time.

As local government's pursuit of economic growth and protectionism often takes an upper hand over environmental protection, a regional economy is thus developed that puts little value on environmental protection.

This obsolete mode of industrial development should be abandoned and the local government should take a leading role in pushing a healthy and scientific economical development.

Pan said tougher punishment is necessary to cure the persistent disease of pollution.

Pan said heavily polluting steel enterprises would be shut down and severe financial penalties imposed to deter illegal behavior.

(China Daily August 24, 2004)