The waste, which emitted a strong odor and caused skin irritations for one passer-by, cost the authorities 330,000 yuan (41,770 dollars) to clean up, according to a Shanghai court cited by the newspaper.

The maximum penalty for people convicted of causing serious environmental pollution is seven years in prison, it said.

Xiao, 40, dumped the chemical waste by the side of the road and at another construction site on behalf of a chemical manufacturer for a fee, it said.

Reports of businesses and individuals being punished for dumping chemicals and other waste -- a common practice that has significantly contributed to China's vast environmental woes -- rarely surface in the national press.

earlier related report
Heavy fines in Beijing for noise polluters
Beijing (AFP) Nov 21 - Beijing would introduce heavy fines for noise polluters in an effort to bring some quiet back to the once serene ancient capital, state press reported Tuesday.

Under the new noise management regulations, construction companies, property management firms, drivers and street vendors would face fines if they generated noise that caused disturbances in their neighborhood, the China Daily reported.

From next month, construction companies could be fined up to 200,000 yuan (25,320 dollars) -- seven times the current penalty -- if construction work was carried out between 10pm and 8am, or during school exam periods, the report said.

Drivers who honked in quiet zones and street vendors who used loudspeakers to attract customers could also be fined up to 50,000 yuan, it said.

Property management firms of office and residential buildings could also be fined up to 100,000 yuan if their air conditioning systems failed to meet environmental standards.

Beijing has suffered worsening noise pollution in recent years amid a building construction frenzy and a rocketing number of cars on the road.

According to Beijing's environmental bureau, public complaints on noise constituted half the environmental complaints they received over the past two years, the paper said.

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