Five areas taken off pollution blacklist

The environmental watchdog has taken three cities, one county and one industrial zone off its blacklist after they passed environmental reassessment.

The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said in a notice yesterday that the five areas had met the "essential requirements" of environmental protection after "earnest overhaul".

Pan Yue, vice-minister of the SEPA, said the administration will "constantly conduct on-the-spot checks to see whether the companies have lived up to their word on environmental protection and to guard against a rebound".