President of battery company sentenced to prison
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Xinhua, September 29, 2011
A court in eastern China on Wednesday sentenced the president of a battery company to 15 months in prison after untreated industrial emissions from his plant poisoned 168 villagers a few months ago.
Ying Jianguo, president of the Suqi Battery Company in the city of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province, was convicted of seriously polluting the environment Wednesday at the People's Court of Luqiao District in Taizhou.
A toxic spill surfaced in early March as residents of Shangtao Village were found to have high levels of lead in their blood. The village is located close to Ying's battery plant. At least 168 residents, including 53 children, were found to have elevated levels of lead in their systems.
Exposure to high levels of lead can damage the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems, health experts say.
The court said the plant had violated environmental protection regulations by secretly increasing emissions and using an unqualified chimney, which polluted the air and nearby farmland.
The court also imposed fines of 100,000 yuan (15,870 dollars) on the company and 50,000 yuan on Ying.
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