BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Environmental Protection said Tuesday it had launched a special campaign to crack down on pollution in imported waste processing.

The month-long campaign starting from July 1 came as the country saw serious pollution caused by a number of small companies processing imported waste, the ministry said.

It said 420 inspectors had been selected from 27 provincial regions to form 60 teams to conduct full-scale examinations.

Inspectors will focus on whether enterprises have passed environmental evaluations, violated rules in pollutant discharge, or illegally transferred waste imports, among other aspects.

Those who breach environmental regulations should be investigated and punished in a timely manner, the ministry said.

Local officials will be summoned for talks if they act slowly in dealing with problems, according to the ministry.

The Chinese government is stepping up the fight against pollution and environmental degradation as decades of fast growth have left the country saddled with smog and contaminated soil.

In April, a reform plan to improve management of solid waste imports to protect environmental security and public health was adopted.