China pollution regulators slam Minmetals units for rule violations

Shanghai

CHINESE inspectors have accused subsidiaries of state-owned China Minmetals Group of repeatedly violating pollution rules in the major rice-growing province of Hunan, part of a drive by Beijing to force corporate offenders to toe the line.

In an audit published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) on Monday, the inspectors said non-ferrous metals producers in Hunan had failed to address a series of violations. Most were units of Minmetals, one of the country's biggest mining and metals trading firms, the audit said.