China: Environmental NGOs ordered to pay 1.89 million RMB after losing lawsuit against chemical companies
"Chinese NGOs pay whopping legal fee after failed lawsuit against polluting enterprises", 8 Feb 2017
...Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court [in Jiangsu Province] has ordered two environmental NGOs [Friends of Nature (FON) and China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF)] to pay a fee of 1.89 million RMB after the latter lost a lawsuit against three polluting chemical companies [including Jiangsu Changlong Chemicals Co. Ltd., Jiangsu Huada Chemical Group Co. Ltd. and Changzhou Chang-Yu Chemical Co. Ltd., who dumped solid waste in the area, which allegedly caused illnesses, including eczema, bronchitis and even leukemia among students at a Changzhou Foreign Language School (CFLS) campus], while [the NGOs’] demands for a public apology and environmental restoration fee from the companies have been denied…Unable to pay the high legal fees, CBGCDF is planning to raise funds online to cover the costs…