Pan Yue, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA), has called for the introduction of a new
regulation that would require an environmental impact assessment to
be carried out prior to the commencement of any major construction
project.
Despite being the country's top environment watchdog, the SEPA
has little power to enforce environmental laws at a local
level.
A file issued last year by the State Council said that the SEPA
could refuse "approval of new projects" in its efforts to protect
the environment.
"But we lack legislation in the field to give us the power to
issue the bans," Pan told People's Daily during a recent
interview.
He said the SEPA was often questioned by companies over its
authority to issue bans on new projects.
Pan called on the State Council to issue a regulation on
environmental impact assessments soon to provide a sound legal
foundation for the ministry's work.
In January, the SEPA refused approval for dozens of new
industrial projects as the government sought to strengthen
environmental controls, reduce pollution and control unfettered
investment.
The list included four major power projects by the country's
power giants, including China Huaneng Group and China Guodian
Group, in a bid to hit back at the heavy polluting power
industry.
The bans were lifted in April, however, after the plants
complied with the ruling and shut down their polluting units.
"The ban, though only short-lasting was fruitful. The mechanism
of banning will hopefully be standardized under the framework of
legislation," Pan said.
Companies in the heavily polluted and accident-plagued regions
along the Huaihe River in east China and Songhua River in northeast
China will likely become the focus of a new round of bans to be
initiated soon, Pan said.
He said that the ban in January helped ensure the smooth
implementation of orders from the central government, and
accelerate industrial restructuring.
Authorities are trying to avoid a repeat of 2006 when the
country missed its target to reduce key emissions by 2 percent as
the economy grew faster than expected.
Environmental authorities said emissions of sulfur dioxide, the
chief cause of acid rain, grew to 25.9 million tons in 2006, up 1.8
percent from 2005. China aims to reduce major emissions by 10
percent between 2006 and 2010.
(China Daily May 10, 2007)
