China court jails three for discharging polluted water

GUANGZHOU, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Three people in south China's Guangdong Province were jailed between 22 and 39 months for illegally discharging polluted water, a local court said.

The three defendants, including a man named Su Mouhua, illegally discharged polluted water containing hydroxybenzene, a toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene, on to road surfaces, vacant land and rivers in Danzhao Town, Nanhai District of Foshan City, between January to April last year, according to a ruling of the Nanhai District People's Court on Thursday.

It was the city's first major environmental pollution case.

The polluted water left a bad odor in the air, killed fish and shellfish, and caused nearby residents to suffer from respiratory ailments and vomiting. It caused an economic loss of 1.1 million yuan (155,807 U.S. dollars) and forced the Xinnong primary school to suspend classes, the court said.

Su made an oral agreement with a company in the neighboring Zhongshan City to discharge the polluted waste in November 2006. Along with his two accomplices, Su was caught by police on April 27.

Presently, no civil suits have been filed. The court suggested victims, including the students, sue the three defendants and the company for compensation.