BEIJING — China's revised environmental protection law has effectively enhanced the crackdown on environmental violations, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).

Since it went into effect in 2015, the revised environmental protection law was known as "the strictest" in history, said MEE Minister Li Ganjie at a news conference on Sept 29.

Official data showed authorities handled 186,000 environment pollution cases in 2018, up from 83,000 cases in 2014.

Total fines reached 15.28 billion yuan (about $2.15 billion) last year, compared with just 3.17 billion yuan in 2014, according to the Ministry.

Over the past 70 years, China has formed a system of laws and regulations on the environment, covering air, water, soil, nuclear safety and other major environmental elements.

The ministry said it will further strengthen legislation in key areas, including the revision of the Law on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste and the formulation of the Yangtze River protection law.