Last year acid rain affected one third of China's land mass, Sheng Huaren, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said in a report to top legislators on Saturday.

 

Sheng told NPC Standing Committee members that in some regions all rainfall was acidic. His report was based on inspections by lawmakers of environmental protection work in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities from May to June.

 

With 26 million tons of sulphur dioxide discharged last year--27 percent more than in 2000--China has become the world's biggest polluter of the substance. ?

 

Acid rain poses a major threat to soil and food safety, Sheng said. He pointed out that sulphur dioxide emissions were double the acceptable environmental limit and coal-burning power stations and coking plants were the main culprits.

 

According to the report, nearly 650 out of 680 coking plants in north China's Shanxi, the country's major coal mining province, discharged excessive sulphur dioxide.

 

Environmental inspectors advised the central government to take decisive action to curb energy consumption and polluting industries by restricting land and loan approvals and raising control standards.

 

"Small coking plants and coal-burning power stations should be shut down or restructured," Sheng advised.

 

Despite the gloomy statistics, chairman of the NPC Environmental and Resources Protection Committee Mao Rubai remained upbeat that Beijing would fulfill its environmental obligations for the 2008 Olympic Games. The municipal government would step up pollution control in the next two years, said Mao.

 

"First of all, environmental protection investment will continue to rise on the current basis of 18 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) per year," he told a press conference on the sidelines of the session of the NPC Standing Committee which closed yesterday.

 

Environmental investment in Beijing accounts for nearly 3 percent of the city's gross domestic product. "The proportion is among the highest in China," Mao said. "Secondly, Beijing will continue to expand use of clean energy." Clean fuel such as natural gas already accounts for 57 percent of the city's total energy consumption, sources said. "Third, the Beijing municipal government has decided to close or relocate polluting companies," explained Mao. ?

 

For example Beijing Shougang steelworks had been moved to Tangshan in north China's Hebei Province.

 

Meanwhile, Beijing will further cut pollution caused by vehicle exhaust emissions. The Euro III environment standard has been adopted in the city. Environmental improvements have been witnessed in Beijing since 1998. Sixty-four percent of days last year had good air quality which is 36 percent higher than 1998. The amount of sulphur dioxide dropped 29 percent compared with seven years ago.

 

(China Daily August 28, 2006)