Heavy smog covers Beijing on March 16, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

On Sunday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection disclosed the findings of its inspection of the steel industry, which revealed that two heavily polluting steelmakers in Xuzhou in East China's Jiangsu province remained untouched even after being urged to shut down several times. Beijing Times commented on Monday:

One may find it difficult to believe that the two Xuzhou steelmakers dared to turn a blind eye to the repeated warnings from the local environmental authorities, and one of them did not remove some of its obsolete facilities until China Central Television reported its illegal operations.

It is even more embarrassing that the local authorities were not on the same page when it comes to how to deal with the heavy polluters. The local environmental protection department in Xinyi, a city affiliated to Xuzhou, stood firm on shutting down a local steelmaker, while the local leaders refused to do anything about it.

There is as of yet no evidence suggesting that the Xinyi government endorsed the stubborn steel manufacturers, but its inaction has emboldened them to continue and expand their illegal operations.

In previous cases, some enterprises that were heavy polluters did have the local government's backing so they could stay untouched after various inspections.

That the Xinyi government has for a long time acquiesced with the local steelmakers' polluting is, at the very least, a dereliction of duty, if not harboring evildoers. The new environmental protection law, arguably the strictest of its kind, clearly stipulates that officials who cover up for polluters or fail to hold polluters accountable in a timely manner may be downgraded or even fired.

For too long, the enforcement against environmental pollution has been insufficient and weak, according to Chen Jining, the environmental protection minister. For that to change, disobedient enterprises and ineffective environmental protection by the authorities at all levels are equally to blame. In particular, ensuring the latter tackle polluters will add more teeth to the new environmental protection law.