MEP Reviews Environmental Protection Work in 2008     

Brief from the report by Zhou Shengxian

In January this year, the Environmental Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian reported China's progress and problems in environmental protection work in 2008 and released the 2009 plans and targets on behalf of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

1. Progress and problem in 2008

    (A) The central government has paid high attention to the environmental protection
China's president Hu Jintao clearly noted that China should focus on environment improvement in the areas of Huaihe River, Chaohu Lake. The rivers and lakes should have the opportunity to recuperate and multiply.

    (B) MEP control strictly in environmental impact assessment.
MEP has opened a "green passage" for the proposed projects that can meet the permits of environmental protection, and control strictly the proposed projects of high pollution, high energy and resource consumption. In 2008 MEP has refused, not approved or put off check on 156 proposed projects of high pollution, high energy and resource consumption, which is translated to a total planned investment of RMB474.7 billion. The 579 proposed projects approved by MEP can reduce 468 600 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, and 38 400 tons of chemical oxygen demand, which increases production but reduces pollution.

    (C). Breakthroughs have been made in pollution reduction.
New treatment capacity of urban sewage is increased by 12.8 million tons per day. The capacity of new coal-burning power generators installed with desulfurization facility is increased by 86 million kilowatts. Around 16.69 million kilowatts of small thermal power generation works have been shut down. Elimination of backward production facilities is progressing smoothly in papermaking, cement, iron smelting, coking, alcohol, monosodium glutamate, citric acid and other industries.

    (D). Pollution control in the near area of water is successful.  
As of the end of September 2008, RMB51.02 billion has been invested in the pollution control and rectification to the eight natural water systems including Huaihe River, Haihe River, Liaohe River, Chaohu Lake, Dianchi Lake, Songhuajiang River, the Three Gorges reservoir area and its upstream, the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, accounting for 34.8% of the total planned investment. 881 projects have been completed and 960 projects are under construction, accounting for 32.4% and 35.4% of the plan respectively.

    (E). Rural environmental protection was started
It is the first time that the financial departments of the central government set up a special fund in rural environmental protection. In 2008, RMB500 million from the fund has been arranged to support 700 towns and villages to treat pollution comprehensively and construct ecological demonstrations.

    (F). MEP supervises and penetrates aggressively the enterprises that violate environmental protection laws.
Over the past year, MEP has checked more than 850 000 enterprises (times), penetrated 15 000 enterprises, found 9 000 potential pollution sources. The 8 000 paper-making enterprises penetrated in 2007 have been supervised strictly again, and 621 of them who did not keep accordance with industrial policy or can not reach the pollutants discharge standards have been closed.

    (G) Laws and standards.
The amended LAW OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION comes into effective June 1st, 2008.
    The Environmental Quality Standard for Noise, as well as noise emission standards from industrial enterprises and the social life has been issued in 2008. MEP issued the products directory of high pollution, high environmental risk, which becomes an important reference basis for relevant governmental departments to formulate policy. More than 40 000 pieces of environmental information have been supplied to the Banks' credit management system, which will become an effective tool for bank to allocate green credit. Through verification on the listed companies, 27 companies are urged to invest RMB350 million to control pollution.

    (H). Investment in environmental protection has grown tremendously.
In 2008, the central government has invested around RMB34 billion in environmental protection, an increase of RMB10 billion compared with 2007.
   China's environmental situation is still awful, according to the report. First, the situation of pollutants reduction is still not optimistic. Due to profit decline, some enterprises will face the increasing cost pressure in operating their pollution control facilities. As a result, possibility of illegal emission actions may increase. In some regions, the high polluting, high energy and source consumption enterprises may come back, and some production facilities that have been closed may also recover production stealthily. Second, pollution is still serious. The pressure of the pollution transfer is increasing, and violence of environmental law remains widespread. The environmental quality can not yet satisfy the expectation of the people. Third, the environmental protection administrations themselves have still many problems to be solved.

2. Key plans for 2009

For 2009, MEP confirmed general requirement on the country's environmental protection work as - To strengthen environmental protection while spur domestic demand; To strengthen building of environmental infrastructures in order to reduce pollution; To develop environmental protection in rural regions and improve environmental quality.  
    MEP and its branches shall strive to do a good job in ten aspects:
    First, pollutants reduction shall be promoted firmly.
    The 2009 targets are as follows. The emissions of sulfur dioxide, chemical oxygen demand shall decline by not less than 2% and 3%, or 1.9 million tons and 1.12 million tons respectively, compared with those in 2008.
    This year, the whole country shall increase 10 million ton per day of new urban sewage treatment capacity, augment more than 50 million kilowatts capacity of new coal-fired power generation works matched with desulfurization facilities, construct newly 20 sets of flue gas desulfurization facilities in iron and steel works. More attention shall be paid to the desulfurization facilities in 300 million kilowatts of running coal-fired power plants, the stable operation of over 1 300 sewage treatment plants, the networking of online monitoring systems between national and province of more than 6 000 state-controlled polluting sources. MEP shall develop and enforce strictly policy of operation, supervision and management on the important pollution control facilities. Illegal pollutants discharge and discontinuing operation on built pollutants treatment facilities will be heavily punished.
   In 2009 China shall eliminate the outdated capacity in iron smelting, steel making, papermaking and power generation by 10 million t/a, 6 million t/a, 500 000 t/a and 15 million kilowatts respectively. MEP will on regular make announcement of the companies that are officially required to close, and post regularly to the public the list of company, production line and production capacity closed or eliminated. MEP will organize scientific research teams to solve the key common problems in reducing pollutants. The research will focus on the development of technologies to reduce water pollutants in iron and steel, petrochemicals, non-ferrous metals, construction materials, pape