Heilongjiang official clarify straw burning penalty

Authorities in Heilongjiang province denied a rumor that 185 farmers had received fines totaling 178.2 million yuan ($25.8 million) for illegally burning straw stalks.

Recently, some information circulated on social media platforms alleging the high fines and arousing widespread public attention, according to a recent report by Red Star Capital, a Chengdu-based research and financial news group.

"It must be clarified that we gave no actual penalties for the farmers," Wang Fenghua, director of the province's ecological and environmental law enforcement bureau, told Red Star. "It is a local financial penalty which is directly deducted from local fiscal funds."

The withheld funds will be used to reward those areas that have done a better job in the prohibition of burning straw stalks, "which can help build enthusiasm for the work", he added.

"If the illegal burning of straw by farmers causes serious consequences such as a wider fire or severe pollution or serious impact on traffic, the public security departments will punish them in accordance with regulations," he said. "The penalty can be 500 to 2,000 yuan. We mainly warned them, but didn't levy actual fines or punishment."

According to information published by the provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, local governments in the province had summoned 414 related officials to account for the ineffective control of straw burning and large-scale open burning as of March 3.

Public security departments detained 185 people for burning straw and stubble in the open.

"In recent years, the province has continued to strengthen the control of straw burning and has achieved remarkable results," Wang said. "Since the straw burning ban was implemented in 2018, the air quality has improved year by year, and the proportion of good days has reached 95.9 percent."