Maximum fine over China pollution (BBC)

China's environmental watchdog has handed the maximum possible fine to a PetroChina subsidiary for a toxic river spill which cut off water to millions.

Jilin Petrochemical was ordered to pay 1m yuan ($125,000, £64,000) for its pollution of the Songhua River in 2005, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A blast at its chemical plant in Jilin province discharged about 100 tonnes of the carcinogen benzene into the river.

The city of Harbin lost water supplies for five days, and Russia was also hit.

China's State Environmental Protection Agency found the company guilty of three counts of breaking environmental law.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6299085.stm

Cost of the cleanup: $1,200,000,000. Fine: $125,000, or 0.1% of cost. That'll learn 'em!

sounds like our future law suits under TORT deform.