An environmental dispute involving a stone quarry in southeastern China marks the first test of a new government effort to use the courts to help clean up the country’s massive pollution problems . In a trial that began Friday in China’s southeastern Fujian province, environmental groups accused four mine operators of stripping a mountainous area of trees and causing about two hectares’ worth of damage. They are suing to either force the defendants to restore the area themselves or pay 1.1 million yuan ($177,000) for a third party to do so. For their part, the defendants have said that the group doesn’t have the right to sue and disputed the sum requested, saying that the way it was […]