Why don’t developing countries have strict pollution controls?

Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America. It is an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important goal. They want to attract new industries, and so they put few controls on industries which cause pollution.
     Cubatao, an industrial town of 85,000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it has more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants. The people of the town are exposed to a large number of poisonous substances in their environment, and the consequences of this exposure can be clearly seen. Birth defects are extremely common. Among children and adults, lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.
     It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, has laws against pollution, but these laws axe not enforced strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to ignore the laws and pay the fines than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important to the government than the health of the workers. However, the responsibility does not completely lie with the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the U.S. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they cause the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely punished or even put out of business.