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Foxconn brushes off claims of pollution in China

The company says that any emissions from its plant in Kunshan are well within the legal limits.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
Construction near a Foxconn factory.
Construction near a Foxconn factory. Jay Greene/CNET

Foxconn is standing up to newly filed complaints against one of its factories in east China.

Any emissions at its plant in Kunshan fall within the legal requirements, Foxconn told Bloomberg in a statement published on Monday. The comment came after the China-based Xinhua News Agency reported that the company, which produces devices for a wide array of technology firms, is being investigated for alleged pollution.

Foxconn has faced its fair share of complaints and issues over the last couple of years. The Fair Labor Association, at the request of Apple, investigated Foxconn and found it to be suffering from a host of issues, including overworked employees and tight labor salaries. The company has, however, been working to address those issues, and according to the Fair Labor Association, has been making solid progress.

The environmental group Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs has been one of the more outspoken organizations on this latest kerfuffle, arguing that Foxconn, along with another manufacturing company, UniMicron Technology, are spewing harmful waste into rivers near Kunshan -- a claim Foxconn flatly denies.

China's ministry of environmental protection is investigating the alleged pollution. It's not clear what sort of fines or regulatory jabs the companies might face if found guilty.