chinese man becomes first to sue government over severe smog - central air purifier

By Sui-Li WeeBEIJING (Reuters)-
Men in smog
The bicycle-ridden northern city has become the first person in China to sue the government for failing to control air pollution.
Newspapers reported on Tuesday.
As the capital, Beijing, is shrouded in pungent smog, North China is facing a pollution crisis.
The authorities launched an-
Pollution Policy, and often commit to clean up the environment, but the problem has not eased.
Li Guixin, a resident of Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, said he filed a complaint with the District Court asking the city's environmental protection bureau to "perform its duty to control air pollution according to law ".
He also sought compensation from the agency for choking pollution in Shijiazhuang and most parts of northern China this winter.
"The reason I propose administrative compensation is for every citizen to see that in this haze we are real victims," the newspaper quoted Li as saying . ".
It is not clear whether the court will accept Li's lawsuit.
Wu Yufen, his lawyer, declined to comment, telling Reuters that the information was "rather sensitive ".
Court officials could not be reached for comment.
Cheng Gang, chief engineer of Shijiazhuang environmental protection bureau, said Chinese citizens have the right to appeal by legal means, and the lawsuit reflects public awareness of the environment, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.
When the pollution was particularly serious in December, Li said, he spent money on masks, air purifiers and treadmills to exercise indoors.
"In addition to the threat to our health, we have suffered economic losses that should be borne by the government and the environmental sector because the government is the recipient of corporate tax," he said. "This is a beneficiary. "
Government-invested factories suspended cleaning
Aviation programs and authorized courts impose severe penalties for violations, but enforcement at the local level is uneven and local authorities often rely on taxes paid by the polluting industry.
The National Meteorological Center has raised smog alerts in northern and central China, and it is expected to continue heavy smog for two days, according to Xinhua.
Beijing has been shrouded in smelly smog for more than a week to reduce pollution, and as of Tuesday, 147 industrial companies in the capital have cut or suspended production, Xinhua reported.
Urban residents are getting angry and alarmed.
"Of course, in the days when pollution levels reach or even exceed the scale, we are very worried that we must see this as a crisis," said Bernhard schwarzland, the World Health Organization (WHO)
The Chinese representative told Reuters.
"There is now clear evidence that high levels of air pollution can actually lead to air pollution in the long run. . .
"Lung cancer," he said.
Hebei is a major industrial zone around Beijing and one of the most polluted cities in the world's most populous country.
Shijiazhuang routinely recorded "beyond index" measurements of contaminated "particulate matter" in early 2013.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences identified the province as a major source of toxic smoke that was shrouded in Beijing a year ago.
In its Hebei action plan in September, the government said it would ban new projects in certain industries, shut down outdated steel and cement facilities and cut coal use.
The province has promised to cut its steel production capacity by 86 million tons by 2020, about 40% of its annual output.
This is starting to happen, according to official data. (
Additional reports from Maxim Duncan, Natalie Thomas and Paul Carsten;
Editor Mark Heinrich)