As China's economy continues to grow rapidly, pollution and environmental degradation have posed an increasingly serious problem for the country. Since China passed its first environmental protection law in 1979, it has produced an extensive body of regulations to protect its air, water, and the health of its people. Unfortunately, despite the increasing number of law books on environmental protection, the country's pollution continues to worsen. This may be because these rules might as well not exist to the many local officials, for whom developing the economy is their first priority. In addition, China's laws are not widely disseminated and are poorly enforced, and thus, the victims of pollution and environmental degradation are unaware of their ability to seek redress.