Court in China Allows First Pollution Suit Under New Law

Qingdao Maritime Court in China ruled that a lawsuit against Conoco Phillips China and China National Offshore Oil for a 2011 spill oil can continue. The suit was moved by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and this case is the first to move forward since China reconsidered the Environmental Protection Law Article 58, which allows NGOs to sue polluters in the public interest. China’s government has fined the companies about $258 million for the spill.

 

A copy of the revised Environmental Protection Law in China is available upon request.