The Criminal Liability states that it is a crime to seriously damage China's environment and natural resources. The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) is charged with investigating and enforcing the environmental protection statutes. SEPA intends to use the Criminal Law provisions to punish individuals and entities that import hazardous waste illegally into China for storage or disposal or that discharge untreated wastes into waterways. An individual who is convicted of an environmental crime may be imprisoned for up to 10 years, and business enterprises may be shut down and responsible managers of business operations may be arrested and imprisoned.
