Multinationals Blacklisted for Pollution (China)

China View ^ | August 21, 2007 | China View

[JACKRUSSELL]

(BEIJING) - Chinese joint ventures with global corporations such as Pepsi-Cola, Samsung, 3M and GM are among 100 multinational companies on an updated blacklist of water polluters, according to a non-governmental organization.

The Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs has compiled a list of water polluters based on government data since 2004 and publishes it at www.ipe.org.cn. The 2006 report listed 33 offenders.

Appearing on the latest list are foreign brands well known to Chinese consumers, such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Kao.

It also reveals pollution caused by some global chemical giants, such as DuPont, Degussa and Ciba.

Ma Jun, director of the institute, collated information released by environmental watchdogs during the past four years. The updated list showed that some multinational companies have not taken the lead in environmental protection, but instead became severe and chronic polluters.

For example, Tianshui Benma Brewery Co Ltd in Gansu Province, in which Denmark-based Carlsberg has an investment, discharged untreated wastewater into rivers for two years, defying repeated government orders asking it to stop.

Four branches of Pepsi-Cola were found to have violated environmental rules in the cities of Changchun, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Fuzhou.

Ma warned multinational companies not to lower their environmental standards after entering China.

"The parent companies in their home countries are models for environmental protection. But some of them seem to have slackened their efforts here."

He attributed the situation to the companies' pursuit of profits, but said weak law enforcement and supervision have left loopholes that invite violations.

He said the updated list revealed "only the tip of the iceberg" in the overall pollution situation.

Pollution by domestic companies is even more severe, according to Ma.

[JACKRUSSELL]

I suppose that we will be expected to fork over the money needed to clean up their filthy country, too. Afterall, we are responsible for all of the problems in the world today.

[sweetiepiezer]

Na Nana, Na Na, Its our fault.
China lies.

[Hawk1976]

These are the reasons I support the EPA in general. Many Corporations typically care about little more than profit, which is important. Being responsible stewards and good neighbors doesn’t even show up on the radar without somebody requiring it.

Someone once told me about the “Clear water” stream near the Rolling Rock beer brewery. He commented that they had at one point polluted the river so badly the water was brown and nothing could live in it.

Then there are the New England rivers that were so polluted they literally caught fire.

Given the damage that can be unleashed by the unscrupulous, I’ll take government action.

Environmentalism and conservation are not liberal or leftist causes. Visit a communist country, the left couldn’t give a hoot about the environment except as a way to bash the right.

[SmoothTalker]

I’ve been to Bejing. I can assure you KFC ain’t the problem. The pollution there is absurd. You can’t even see the sky on a clear day and viability is well under a halfmile at street level.

[SmoothTalker]

“Environmentalism and conservation are not liberal or leftist causes. Visit a communist country, the left couldn’t give a hoot about the environment except as a way to bash the right.”

Agreed. And i’m also in favor of a vibrant parks and public land system to preserve some of our nicest places and to make them avaliable to the public.