The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, recently released the fourth batch of ten typical cases of ecological and environmental damage compensation. This information was announced at a press conference held by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on the 26th. Pei Xiaofei, spokesperson for the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, stated that this year marks the tenth anniversary of advancing the reform of the ecological and environmental damage compensation system. Since the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Pilot Program for the Reform of the Ecological and Environmental Damage Compensation System" in 2015, relevant departments across the country have handled approximately 66,000 cases of ecological and environmental damage compensation, involving compensation amounts of about 35.2 billion yuan, and have facilitated the restoration of a large number of damaged ecosystems.

It is reported that the ten typical cases released this time cover key areas such as ecological and environmental protection, urban and rural construction, water resource conservation, and agricultural and rural pollution control, and for the first time include litigation cases involving compensation for marine ecological and environmental damage. In addition to the typical cases, the four departments also simultaneously released 39 reference cases, which complement the typical cases. Pei Xiaofei noted that these cases provide models for the subsequent improvement of the system and the deepening of practice. Among them, the illegal mining case in the Muli mining area of Qinghai Province, which caused significant ecological and environmental damage, had a wide-ranging impact, involved numerous responsible parties, and required compensation of approximately 5.056 billion yuan, making it the case with the highest compensation amount for ecological and environmental damage in the country to date.

He stated that in the next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will work with relevant departments to further deepen reforms, promote the standardization and effectiveness of the ecological and environmental damage compensation system, embed the concept of "environmental value and responsibility for damage" into public consciousness, and contribute to the construction of a Beautiful China.