Here is a treatise by the Chinese government on environmental matters. I think it is important because I think it reflects official government policy regarding pollution. Note about half way down, this statement is made.
Urban water pollution is mainly caused by petroleum- matters, permanganate index and ammonia nitrogen organism.
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Trans- Century Environmental Protection in China
State Environmental Protection Administration
The Chinese government always attaches great importance to environmental
protection and makes environmental protection a basic state policy. It has
formulated a policy of sustainable development which coordinates environmental
protection with the development of economy, society, population and resources. It
has also established and perfected the system of environment policy, regulations
and management, and strengthened the work of pollution prevention and control,
and ecological environmental protection in cities, and key river basins and areas.
In 1997 and 1998, the Central Party Committee consecutively held meetings on
family planning and environmental protection, urging governments at all levels and
various departments to do a better job in environmental protection in the remaining
years of this century and through to the next century. After years of unremitting
efforts, China has steered clear of the situation of dramatic environment
deterioration while achieving rapid economic development, and witnessed
improvement of environment quality in some cities and areas. Environmental
protection efforts have advanced China's reform, opening up and sustained and
sound socioeconomic development.
I. Progress of Environmental Protection Work
I. Environment Policies, Laws, Standards and Regulations
The government has formulated three environment principles, namely the principle
of putting prevention first and combining prevention with treatment, the principle of
''polluters pay'' (those who pollute the environment should pay for the treatment),
and the principle of intensifying environment management. It has also issued six laws
on environment and nine relevant laws on resources protection, including the Law
on Environmental Protection, Law on Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, Law
on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, Law on Prevention and Control of
Solid Wastes, Law on Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution, and Law on
Marine Environmental Protection. The ''crime against destroying environment and
resources'" has been written into the amended Criminal Law. In addition, the
government has issued 28 regulations and over 70 rules related to environment.
There are also 900 local regulations on environment.
Thus far. the state has worked out 375 environmental standards and set some
effective environment management systems, such as environmental impact
assessment, "three simultaneousness'' (simultaneous design, simultaneous
implementation and simultaneous operation), levying fees on pollutant discharges,
setting time limit for pollution treatment, comprehensive urban environment
harnessment and quantitative evaluation, the system of personal responsibility for
environmental protection targets, the system of quantifying pollutants, central
pollution control, phasing out of backward technologies and equipment,
administrative execution of hazardous waste disposal, and total load capacity
control of pollutant discharge. Thus, a set of policies, laws and standards, as well as
a management system on environment that conform with China's national conditions
have been formed initially.
2. Environment Legislation, Input, Science, Technology and Education
China has reinforced environmental enforcement while speeding up environment
legislation and enhancing legislation quality. From 1993 to 1996, nationwide checks
on environmental enforcement were conducted, and more than 6,000 cases against
environment laws were found and dealt with. In recent years, illegal import of
"foreign wastes'' was resolutely cracked down, and 200 ships used to dump
"foreign wastes" into China were rejected.
Between 1991-95, environmental input nationwide totalled 130.6 billion yuan,
accounting for 0.73 percent of the GNP during this period and showing an increase
of 0.04 percentage points on the previous five years. The aggregate investment in
this sector between 1996~2000 is expected to hit 450 billion yuan, accounting for
1.3 percent of the GNP during this period. Environmental input in Beijing and
Shanghai will make up 3 percent of their GNP, while that for Tianjin, 2 percent,
and Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces, l .5 percent. Funds or special capital for
pollution prevention and control have been established in more than 20 provinces,
including Shanxi, Fujian, Jiangsu and Shaanxi, with the total amount hitting I .9
billion yuan.
Between 1991-95, the country achieved more than 2,000 environment-related
scientific and technological results, with 27 awarded national prizes for scientific
and technological progress. The system of environmental label is being publicized,
with 219 kinds of products in 22 varieties and 55 enterprises having received the
environmental label. At present, there are 8,651 enterprises and institutions
nationwide engaged in the environmental protection industry, with a total of 1 .89
million employees and 45.01 billion yuan in fixed assets.
Environmental publicity has been constantly intensified and deepened, and the
situation in which the whole society cares for the environment is being formed. The
All-China Trans-Century Environmental Protection Inspection Campaign has
promoted the solution of a batch of difficult problems. Centered on the effort to
reach the set discharge standard in the Huaihe River in 1997, CCTV and other
news media covered reports on the progress of the project, exposed related
problems and encouraged exemplary units, evoking nationwide repercussions.
Environmental protection has already been included in the course of the nation's
nine-year compulsory education, as well as 140 institutes of higher education, more
than 100 secondary vocational and technical schools, and central and provincial
party schools and administrative colleges.
3. Prevention and Control of industrial Pollution and Urban Environmental
Protection
Various localities and relevant departments have energetically promoted clean
production and phased out a batch of highly energy-consuming and heavily polluting
technologies and equipment during the course of industrial structural readjustment
and technological renovation. Between 1991-95, the country invested 13.4 billion
yuan in 29,850 pollution treatment projects which had been required to be
completed within a set time limit. Between l 996-97, another 21 ,000 such projects
were completed, involving a total investment of 14.84 billion yuan, and more than
65,000 small enterprises involved in 15 trades that caused heavy pollution and
were not worthy to be treated were closed down, helping mitigate environmental
deterioration and wastes of resources.
Remarkable progress has been made in pollution prevention and control in key
river basins and areas. The pollution prevention and control project launched by the
state in three rivers (Huaihe, Liaohe and Haihe), three lakes (Taihu, Dianchi and
Chaohu), two areas (acid rain and sulfur dioxide control areas) and one city
(Beijing) has been carried out in full swing. A total of 4.49 billion yuan has been
invested in water pollution prevention and control in the Huaihe River valley,
treating more than 2,600 polluting enterprises. More than 5,700 polluting
enterprises in the valley (including l,111 small chemical pulp factories with annual
output below 5,000 tons) were forced to close down, suspend production, merge
into or transfer to other industries. This helped the entire river valley reduce its
pollutant load by 40 percent, achieve the set standard for industrial pollutant
discharge in 1997, and improve the main stream's water quality.
The Program of Total Load Capacity Control of Pollutant Discharge and the
Trans-Century Green Projects Program two documents approved by the State
Council are under implementation. The total amount control index for pollutants has
been passed down to various provinces, and more than 700 green projects have
started construction. Some 86.89 billion yuan, or 46 percent of the total investment,
has been raised.
Comprehensive treatment and quantitative evaluation have been carried out in 510
cities, with 46 subject to state evaluation. Leaded gasoline has been banned in
Beijing, Shanghai and eight other cities. Weekly reports on air quality are publicized
in 46 cities like Beijing and Nanjing. Six cities, namely, Zhangjiagang, Dalian,
Shenzhen, Xiamen, Weihai and Zhuhai, have been cited by the state as
environmental protection pace setters for their noticeable improvement in
environment quality while achieving rapid economic progress.
Thanks to the introduction of various effective measures, in 1997, industrial
enterprises at and above the county level nationwide reported an increase on 1996
of 16 percentage points in industrial waste water treatment rate, reaching 84.7
percent, 9 percentage points in the rate for attaining standard industrial waste water
discharge, reaching 61 .8 percent, 4.2 percentage points in industrial waste gas
treatment rate, reaching 86.3 percent, and 5.6 percentage points in industrial solid
wastes comprehensive utilization rate, reaching 45.2 percent. The central storage
rate of urban radioactive wastes exceeded 80 percent. In general, the growth of
pollutants discharged by industries above the county level has declined, heavy metal
pollution has been basically put under control, the daily average value of total
suspended particles in cities has come down, and the environment quality in some
cities has improved.
4. Construction and Protection of Ecological Environment
Afforestation has been carried out extensively nationwide, helping increase the
country's forest coverage rate to 13.92 percent. By the end of 1997, the country
had established 926 nature reserves of various kinds, covering 7.64 percent of its
total land area. Ten nature reserves, such as the Changbai Mountain and
Xishuangbanna, have joined the international Network of Biosphere Reserves.
There are over 2,000 eco-agriculture pilot sites across the country, and the 50
eco-agriculture pilot counties and 105 ecological demonstration areas have
achieved preliminary gratifying results. Seven eco-agriculture villages like Tengtou in
Fenghua County, Zhejiang Province, have been awarded the Globe 500 by the
United Nation's Environment Program. More than 70 million hectares of land
suffering from soil erosion has undertaken comprehensive treatment, and the
seriously damaged ecology in some localities is being recovered.
5. International Cooperation and Exchange
China has signed and joined 18 international environment treaties, such as the
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer and the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It has also formulated China
Agenda 21 , China's Biodiversity and other 10 or so implementation plans and
regulations. In addition, it has signed bilateral agreements with 23 countries on
environmental cooperation. It has adhered to the policy of attracting funds through
diversified channels, promoting the progress of key pollution control and ecological
protection projects. Headway has also been made in foreign capital utilization by
environmental protection planning projects. The China Council for international
Cooperation on Environment and Development, founded in 1992, has made
constructive contributions to China's environment and development.
II. The Present State of Environment
Despite its significant progress in environmental protection, China continues to face
a grim environmental situation due to the tremendous pressure brought about by its
population growth and economic development to resources and environment.
Environmental pollution and ecological damage in quite a large number of areas
have not been reversed, and are even deteriorating in some places. Environmental
protection still remains an arduous task in the country.
1. Water Environmcnt
The water environment now mainly suffers from organic pollution. In recent years,
while industrial pollution has been curbed to some extent, household waste pollution
has increased gradually. Last year recorded discharges of 41.6 billion tons of waste
water (22.7 billion tons of industrial waste water and 18.9 billion tons of household
waste water) and 17.57 million tons of COD. Compared with 1995, industrial
waste water discharge dropped by 5 .4 billion tons, while household waste water
discharge increased by 2.8 billion tons.
The seven main river systems, some lakes and partial offshore coastal areas have
been polluted to varied degrees. In general, the water quality in the main current of
Yangtze and Pearl rivers is good, that in the main stream of the Yellow River is
passably good, that in Songhua River and the main current of the Huaihe River has
improved, and that in Haihe, Luanhe and Liaohe rivers is comparatively poor. A
number of freshwater lakes suffer from eutrophication. The pollution in Taihu Lake
has been mitigated, and that in Chaohu and Dianchi lakes has aggravated. The
water quality in offshore coastal areas basically remains the same. Inadequate water
resources and water pollution in north China's arid and semi-arid regions have
become constraints in local socioeconomic development.
2. Atmospheric Environment
Air pollution is mainly caused by smoke from burning coal. The major pollutants are
sulfur dioxide and soot. While the discharge amount of the latter is coming down on
an annual basis, that of the former is going up gradually. Last year, 23.46 million
tons of sulfur dioxide was discharged, exceeding that of 1995 by 1.14 million tons.
The total amount of soot discharged was 18.73 million tons, a drop of 1.11 million
tons from that of 1995. Pollution by acid rain is relatively serious in central, south
and southwest China. Acid rain also occurred in some northern cities, such as
Tumen and Qingdao. Areas hit by acid rain now account for 30 percent of the
country's total land area.
3. Urban Environment
Along with the expedited pace of urbanization and population growth in cities,
urban environment problems have become prominent. Air pollution in cities is
mainly caused by soot. Some large and medium-sized cities are obsessed by
pollution caused by a combination of soot and vehicle emissions. Air pollution in
some cities is fairly serious, and the situation in northern cities is more serious than
that in southern cities.
Urban water pollution is mainly caused by petroleum- matters, permanganate index
and ammonia nitrogen organism. Water pollution in northern cities is more serious
than that in southern cities. There is an increase in the number of cities, especially in
northern inland areas, where water pollution causes water shortage. Noise pollution
in most cities is of the medium level. The scope of domestic noise pollution is
expanding, whereas traffic noise is the most conspicuous. The ever-increasing
urban garbage has not been put under effective control and treatment. Especially in
recent years, "white pollution" caused by plastic packing products has become
various serious.
4. Resources and Ecological Environment
With population growth, industrial development and irrational use of farm
chemicals, the coverage and quality of cultivated land have decreased. Although
China has 390 million hectares of natural grasslands, its per capita grassland area is
only 50 percent of the world average. Excessive development and utilization have
aggravated the degradation and desertification of grassland. Environmental pollution
and inappropriate development have cut the acreage of virgin forests, threatening
the habitats of 15-20 percent of the nation's animal and plant species. Some rare
species, such as white-flag dolphin, are at the brink of distinction owing to drastic
decrease in population.
III. Trans-Century Targets and Major Measures for
Environmental Protection
1. Trans-Century Targets
The targets for environmental protection between 1996-2000 as approved by the
State Council are: By 2000, the trend of environmental pollution and ecological
damage should be basically curbed, and environment quality in some cities and
regions see further improvement. By 2010, the deterioration of the ecological
environment should be basically reversed, urban and rural environment should be
distinctly improved, and a batch of cities and regions featuring rapid economic
development, a clean and beautiful environment and fine ecological cycle should be
built up.
2. Major Measures
1) Implementing the Program of Total Load Capacity Control of Pollutant
Discharge and the Trans- Century Green Project Program
The Program of Total Load Capacity Control of Pollutant Discharge is a measure
adopted to control pollution and promote the transformation of the mode of
economic growth. As is required in the program, firstly, the pollutant discharge
volume of new projects should be conscientiously controlled so as to achieve the
targets of "more production without more pollution" and "more production, less
pollution'', secondly, the treatment of pollution sources should be speeded up, and
backward production technologies and equipment should be phased out, so that
the discharge standard for industrial pollution sources could be met and the total
load of pollutants be effectively reduced, and lastly, in the course to promote the
readjustment of industrial structure and product mix, enterprises should be urged to
practice clean production and ISO4000, and strengthen their responsibility for
environmental protection.
The Trans-Century Green Projects Program is a measure to improve the
environment quality of key river basins and areas. It calls for the completion of
more than l ,500 pollution treatment and ecological recovery projects between
1996-2000, involving more than 180 billion yuan in aggregate investment.
2) Implementing the '3321' Program
The aforementioned three rivers, three lakes, two control zones and one city are the
focus of pollution prevention and control in China. The goal of pollution prevention
and control in the Huaihe River basin is that, by 2000, the river water should
become clear. Key measures for achieving this include strengthening implementation
of laws and regulations to consolidate available achievements, and building urban
sewage works to reduce household waste water pollution load. Plans call for the
construction of 52 urban sewage works in the whole river basin, and 14 are
currently being built.
In the Taihu Lake basin, industries, intensive animal farms, hotels and restaurants
along the lake bank shall meet pollution source discharge standards by the end of
this year. At present, among the l,035 most seriously polluting enterprises in the
basin, 102 have been forced to shut down, suspend production, merge with other
enterprises or change production lines, 310 have reached pollution discharge
standards, and 354 are building waste water treatment facilities.
The short-term objective for pollution control in the Dianchi Lake is that industrial
pollution sources should meet discharge standards by May 1 next year, and that the
water quality and the environment of tourist attractions shall be distinctly improved,
to ensure the successful convening of the World Horticulture Fair in Kunming.
Dredging and pollutant interception projects are currently underway, so are the
expansion and construction projects for four sewage works. Planned investments in
these projects total 2.2 billion yuan.
Work to control air pollution in acid rain and sulfur dioxide control areas has
started. The two zones now cover l .09 million square km, accounting for 11 .4
percent of the country's total land area and involving 27 provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities directly under the central government. Control measures
mainly include shutting down, stopping or limiting, on a gradual basis, the
production of coal mines with sulfur content exceeding 3 percent, dressing coal
produced by mines in operation, banning the construction of new coal-fueled
power plants near large cities, and phasing out small power generating sets, and
requiring new coal-fueled power plants to install desulfurization facilities, and urban
industrial kilns and household stoves to use sulfur-flxed briquettes.
Major measures for preventing and controlling pollution in Beijing include:
improving energy structure, universalizing the use of low-sulfur high-quality coal,
and expanding central heating areas, so as to prevent and control soot pollution,
strengthening construction project management, and expanding mechanical
sprinkling and cleaning areas to control flying dust, strictly implementing the old
vehicle disability system, stopping the sale of vehicles not meeting emission
standards, and banning the use of leaded gasoline so as to control vehicle emission,
and protecting potable water sources and strengthening river dredging measures to
ensure smooth river flow and improve water environment.
3) Giving equal importance to pollution control and ecological conservation,
and strengthening ecological environmental protection in key areas
During the course to implement the "3321" Program, efforts shall also be made to
strengthen ecological environmental protection. Main measures include identifying
baseline data of ecological environmental destruction and formulating ecological
environmental protection plans, taking rescue measures to protect areas that are
ecologically and environmentally fragile due to natural or historical reasons,
adopting legal, administrative, technical and economic means to prevent and control
ecological degradation caused by resources development, and establishing nature
reserves and ecological demonstration areas to effectively protect endangered
species and the ecological environment. Supervision and management over
ecological environmental protection will be strengthened to curb the trend of
ecological degradation.
4) Further promoting environmental legal system, investment, science,
technology and publicity
To strengthen environmental legal system and bring environmental protection into
the legal orbit, the following work needs to be done:
First, filling the gaps in legislation by formulating laws on the prevention and control
of chemical and radioactive pollution, and on ecological environmental protection.
Second, perfecting supporting rules and regulations, and formulating and revising
rules for the implementation of laws on the prevention and control of water, air,
noise and solid wastes pollution, and other related rules and regulations on
environmental protection.
Third, reinforcing law enforcement on the basis of improved legislation, and
wielding the forceful weapon of the Criminal Law to combat environment-related
crimes.
To raise fund for pollution prevention and control, efforts will be made in the
following aspects:
First, formulating economic policies that facilitate environmental protection and
economic development in accordance with the law governing the market economy,
such as the preferential economic policies adopted in the Huaihe River basin.
Second, levying sulfur dioxide discharge fees in acid rain and sulfur dioxide control
areas.
Third, accelerating the reform of the pollution discharge fee collection system,
raising the charges according to the principle that pollution discharge fees should be
higher than treatment costs, collecting fees on the basis of the total amount of
pollutant discharge in a planned way, and establishing mechanisms for raising
national environmental protection funds.
Fourth, expanding international cooperation, actively introducing foreign capital,
and ensuring US$4 billion worth of foreign capital be used between 1996-2000.
It is necessary to enhance the scientific and technological sector's support to
pollution prevention and control and ecological environment protection.
Environmental protection industries are the material basis for preventing and
controlling environmental pollution and ecological destruction. The State
Environmental Protection Administration will convene the National Conference on
Environmental Protection industries jointly with other departments to formulate
plans and measures for the development of such industries.
The National Action Guidelines for Environmental Protection Publicity and
Education will be implemented. Centered on key issues, effective publicity
campaigns will be carried out in diversified forms. Environmental training will be
conducted for officials at various levels. In addition, efforts will be made to promote
elementary and public education in environment.
5) Actively participating in international cooperation and exchange
China, attaching great importance to the prevention of climate changes, signed the
Kyoto Protocol on May 29, 1998. According to the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change, China is not committed to limit green house gas (GHG)
emissions. China's per capita energy consumption and GHG emissions are far
below the world average level. However, motivated by a strong sense of
responsibility for resolving global environment problems, the Chinese government is
making active efforts, including carrying out two fundamental transformations
(transformation from a planned to a market economy and from an extensive
economic growth pattern to an intensive one), reducing the per-GDP unit energy
consumption and GHG production, saving energy and raising energy efficiency,
readjusting energy structure, actively developing hydropower, properly developing
nuclear power, enhancing research and development of geothermal, solar, wind and
marine energy, and encouraging energy- efficient production and consumption.
China has applied for and obtained 232 projects funded by the multilateral fund of
the Montreal Protocol which are expected to phase out 60,000 tons of ODS
(ODP value). China has also promised to stop the production of Halon 1211 and
Halon 1301 by the end of 2006 and 2010 respectively.
chinanews.org |
