Main Mandate of State Environmental Protection Administration (National Nuclear Safety Administration)

1. Develop national policies, laws and regulations, and formulate administrative rules and regulations for environmental protection; conduct environmental impact assessment as entrusted by the State Council on major economic and technical policies, development programs and major economic development plans; formulate national environmental protection programs; organize the development of pollution prevention plan and ecological conservation plan in key regions and river basins that are identified by the Central Government and supervise their implementation; and  organize the zoning of environmental function areas.

2. Draw up and organize the implementation of laws, rules and regulations on pollution prevention of air, water, soil, noise, solid wastes, toxic chemicals and vehicle emissions; guide, coordinate and supervise marine environmental protection work.

3. Supervise the development and utilization activities of natural resources that impact ecological environment, major eco-environmental development work, and rehabilitation of ecological damages; supervise and inspect the environmental protection in various kinds of nature reserves, scenic spots and forest parks; supervise and inspect biodiversity conservation, wildlife conservation, wetland environmental protection and desertification combating; put forward recommendations to the State Council for the establishment of various new national-level nature reserves for approval; supervise and manage national nature reserves and take the lead in the management of biological species resources.

4. Guide and coordinate major environmental problems in local areas, departments, cross-region areas and trans-river basin areas; investigate and handle major environmental pollution accidents and ecological damage cases; coordinate inter-provincial environmental pollution disputes; organize and coordinate the work on the prevention and control of water pollution in key river basins; take charge of environmental supervision and administrative inspection; and organize nationwide inspections on environmental law enforcement.

5. Formulate national environmental quality standards and pollutant discharge standards and release the standards in line with the procedures set by the Central Government; take charge the filing of local environmental standards; review the environmental protection component of urban development master plans; organize the compilation of national reports on environmental quality; make public the Report on the State of the Environment in China each year; publicize information on the state of environmental quality in key cities and river basins on a periodic basis; and participate in the formulation of the outline of national sustainable development.

6. Develop various regulatory regimes of environmental management and organize their implementation; approve environmental impact assessment (EIA) statements of development and construction activities according to the regulations of the State; guide comprehensive environmental treatment in both urban and rural areas; take charge eco-environmental protection work in rural areas; and guide the establishment of ecological demonstration zones and development of ecological agriculture across the country.

7. Organize environmental S&T development programs, major scientific research and technical demonstration projects; administrate the certification of environmental labels; set up and implement certification systems for environmental protection qualifications; and guide and promote the development of environmental industry.

8. Take charge the work on environmental monitoring, statistics and information; develop environmental monitoring systems and norms,; organize the establishment and management of national environmental monitoring network and national environmental information network; organize the monitoring of environmental quality and pollutant sources across the country; organize, guide and coordinate environmental publicity, education, news and publishing work; and promote the participation of the public and NGOs.  

9. Develop basic national principles on global environmental issues; administrate the international cooperation and exchanges on environmental protection; take part in and coordinate important international environmental activities; participate in the negotiation of international environmental conventions; act as the focal point to manage, organize and coordinate the implementation activities of international conventions in China; administrate foreign economic cooperation in the environmental protection system; coordinate overseas funded projects in relation to the implementation of international conventions; handle foreign environmental affairs as entrusted by the State Council; and take charge the liaison and contacts with international environmental organizations.

10. Take charge the administration of nuclear safety, radiation environment, and radioactive wastes; draw up relevant policies, laws, regulations and standards; take part in emergency response to nuclear accidents and radiation environmental accidents; conduct integrated supervision and management of the safety of nuclear facilities, electromagnetic radiation, application of nuclear technology, and pollution prevention and control in the development and utilization of radioactive mineral resources; supervise the regulation of nuclear materials and the safety of pressure-bearing nuclear facilities; and carry out integrated supervision and management on radioactive sources.

11. Take charge of the institutional composition and personnel management of SEPA; and carry out institutional reforms on national administrative systems of environmental protection.

12. Undertake other affairs delivered by the State Council.