(Beijing) — Local governments in nearly 100 cities have failed a non-governmental organizations' test that measures how well they inform the public about environmental hazards.
Failing the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) test with scores of less than 60 out of 100 points were governments in more than 80 of 120 cities surveyed, two Beijing-based NGOs reported Monday.
Beijing, a target of intense scrutiny due to worsening air pollution in recent years, scored the highest with 77.1 points, while the coal-mining city of Datong, Shanxi province, came in last with just 15.6 points.
Cities in less-developed western regions of China were among the least likely to share pollution information with the public, the PITI survey said.
Beijing ranked No. 1 for the first time in seven years, bumping former high-scorer Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Beijing came in fourth place last year. Datong ranked at the bottom last year as well as this year.
The PITI survey has been conducted annually by the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and Natural Resources Defense Council since 2009. It's aimed at assessing local government information transparency by looking at factors that include the frequency of interaction between the public and local environmental protection authorities.
The survey's sponsors have recommended local authorities do more to improve transparency, as information disclosure can play a crucial role in tackling air, water and soil pollution problems.
（Source： Caixin）
