Chinese Court Accepts Nation's First Tort Case for Injuries Caused by Environmental Pollution (story in Chinese)

According to the Chinacourt website, the Xuanwu district court in Nanjing has accepted China's first case for compensation resulting from damages caused by exposure to environmental pollution. The plaintiff, a 15-year old Nanjiang resident, has sued a nearby oil refining corporation belonging to the national Sinopec Group. The suit alleges that her onset of leukemia is a result of environmental exposure to benzene, both a known carcinogen and a product employed in the defendants' oil refining processes. Damages sought amount to 1 million yuan ($125,000 US).