Beijing fines 652 firms for pollution in four months

Beijing’s air quality has come under intense scrutiny since January last year, when heavy smog settled over the city to the alarm of its residents. Premier Li Keqiang in March promised a “war on pollution” as the country seeks to stem public anger over premature deaths while weaning the economy off over-dependence on energy-guzzling heavy industry. Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau handed out fines totalling 14.5 million yuan ($2.3 million) over the first four months of the year, it told state media on Sunday. In March, Beijing for the first time took charge of supervising its pollution levels.