MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI) - President Vladimir Putin has signed changes to the Administrative Offenses Code significantly raising fines for environmental pollution, the Natural Resources Ministry reports on Monday.

In particular, officials who violate water use regulations while drawing water or discharging wastewater will be punished with a fine of 10,000-20,000 rubles ($300-$600, a 7-10-fold rise). Sole business proprietors will have to pay 20,000-30,000 rubles ($600-$900, a 13-15-fold increase), and companies will be charged 80,000-100,000 rubles ($2,400-$3,000, a 5-8-fold increase).

"Administrative fines for releasing harmful emissions into the atmosphere and other types of unauthorized air pollution will rise tenfold for officials, to 40,000-50,000 rubles ($1,200-$1,500). Sole business proprietors will be charged 30,000-50,000 rubles ($900-$1,500, a 8-10-fold increase), and companies 180,000-250,000 rubles ($5,420-$7,530, a five-fold rise).

The new legislation introduces penalties for businesses owned and run by a single proprietor who are found to be in violation of the terms of their permits for emitting harmful substances into the atmosphere or wastewater discharge. Until recently, the Administrative Offenses Code did not cover this type of offense, which will now be punished by a fine of between 30,000 and 50,000 rubles ($900-$1,500). Fines for officials will rise by a factor of 3-5 to 10,000-20,000 rubles ($300-$600) and for companies, by a factor of 2.5 to 80,000-100,000 rubles ($2,400-$3,000).