Environmental regulations

Regulations on Environmental Impact Assessment of Plans (State Council Order No. 559)

The regulation was formulated according to Law of the People’s Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment for the purpose of strengthening EIA on plans, improving scientific basis of plans, preventing environmental pollution and ecological damage at source and promoting coordinated and sustainable development of economy, society and the environment.

Related departments of the State Council, people’s government and departments concerned above municipality level should have environmental impact assessment of plans on land use, comprehensive plans for construction, development and use on regional, river basin and sea area scale and special plans for industry, agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, energy, water resources, transportation, urban development, tourism and natural resource development.

The application scope of environmental impact assessment, as provided in article 1 of the regulation, shall be identified by MEP and related departments of the State Council. It will be put into execution after being reported to the State Council for approval.

EIA of plans should be conducted on an objective, open and equitable basis.

The country shall establish an information-sharing system for EIA of plans. People’s government and departments above county level should share information needed for EIA of plans.

Expenses for EIA of plans should be incorporated into fiscal budget according to the budgetary management regulations. Its use should be kept under strict control and subject to auditing. 

Any organization and individual can report illegal acts or plans bringing about major adverse environmental impact to authorities in charge of plan approval and preparation or to environmental protection departments. Once the authority concerned received the report, it should launch an investigation in accordance with law.

National Standard for Environmental Protection

Cleaner Production Standard Alumina Industry (HJ 473-2009)

The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Law of People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Clean Production, protecting the environment and providing technical support and guidance for alumina enterprises.

The standard set requirements for alumina enterprises on clean production according to current technical and equipment capacity and management level of the industry and on condition that these enterprises meet national and local standard for pollution discharge.  

The standard has three levels. Level I represents advanced international level for clean production, level II stands for advanced domestic level and level III refers to basic domestic level of clean production. The standard is subject to timely revision along with continued technical progress and development.

The standard is applicable to alumina enterprises (mining of bauxite and self-provided thermal power generation are not included) as general requirement for clean production.

The standard classifies clean production standard into six categories, namely requirement on production technique and equipment, indices for resource and energy utilization, indices for products, indices for pollution generation (before end-of-pipe treatment), indices for waste recovery and reuse and requirement on environmental management.

The standard applies to clean production auditing of bauxite-based alumina production with Bayer method and combination method. It also applies to judgment of clean production potential and opportunity, assessment and notification of its performance and environmental management such as environmental impact assessment and pollution discharge permit, etc.　

This is the first issuance of the standard.

Cleaner Production Standard Soda Ash Industry (HJ 474-2009)

The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Law of People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Clean Production, protecting the environment and providing technical support and guidance for soda ash enterprises.

The standard set requirements for soda ash enterprises on clean production according to current technical and equipment capacity and management level of the industry and on condition that these enterprises meet national and local standard for pollution discharge.

The standard has three levels. Level I represents advanced international level for clean production, level II stands for advanced domestic level and level III refers to basic domestic level of clean production. The standard is subject to timely revision along with continued technical progress and development.

The standard is applicable to soda ash enterprises as general requirement for clean production.

The standard classifies clean production standard of soda ash industry into five categories, namely requirement on equipment, indices for resource and energy utilization, indices for pollution generation (before end-of-pipe treatment), indices for waste recovery and reuse and requirement on environmental management.

The standard applies to clean production auditing of soda ash production with ammonia-soda process and Hou’s process. It also applies to judgement of clean production potential and opportunity, assessment and notification of its performance and environmental management such as environmental impact assessment and pollution discharge permit, etc.

The standard does not apply to plants engaged in synthetic ammonia and thermal power, or downstream products such as baking soda and calcium chloride.

This is the first issuance of the standard.

Cleaner production standard Chlor-alkali industry (Caustic soda) (HJ 475-2009)

The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Law of People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Clean Production, protecting the environment and providing technical support and guidance for chlor-alkali enterprises.

The standard set requirements for chlor-alkali enterprises on clean production according to current technical and equipment capacity and management level of the industry and on condition that these enterprises meet national and local standard for pollution discharge.

The standard has three levels. Level I of diaphragm caustic soda method represents domestic leading level for clean production, level II stands for advanced domestic level and level III refers to basic domestic level of clean production. Level I of Ion-exchange membrane caustic soda method refers to advanced international level for clean production, Level II stands for advanced domestic level and Level III is the basic domestic level. The standard is subject to timely revision along with continued technical progress and development.

The standard is applicable to caustic soda enterprises as general requirement for clean production.

The standard classifies clean production standard into six categories, namely requirement on production technique and equipment, indies for resource and energy utilization, indies for products, indices for pollution generation (before end-of-pipe treatment), indices for waste recovery and reuse and requirement on environmental management.

The standard applies to clean production auditing of caustic soda production with diaphragm caustic soda method and ion-exchange membrane caustic soda method. It also applies to judgment of clean production potential and opportunity, assessment and notification of its performance and environmental management such as environmental impact assessment and pollution discharge permit, etc.

This is the first issuance of the standard.

Cleaner production standard Chlor-alkali industry (Polyvinyl Chloride) (HJ 476-2009)

The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Law of People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Clean Production, protecting the environment and providing technical support and guidance for polyvinyl chloride enterprises.

The standard set requirements for polyvinyl chloride enterprises on clean production according to current technical and equipment capacity and management level of the industry and on condition that these enterprises meet national and local standard for pollution discharge.

The standard has three levels. Level I of calcium carbide process represents domestic leading level for clean production, level II stands for advanced domestic level and level III refers to basic domestic level of clean production. Level I of ethylene method refers to advanced international level for clean production, Level II stands for advanced domestic level and Level III is the basic domestic level. The standard is subject to timely revision along with continued technical progress and development.

The standard is applicable to chlor-alkali enterprises (polyvinyl chloride) as general requirement for clean production.

The standard classifies clean production standard into six categories, namely requirement on production technique and equipment, indies for resource and energy utilization, indies for products, indices for pollution generation (before end-of-pipe treatment), indices for waste recovery and reuse and requirement on environmental management.

The standard applies to clean production auditing of general PVC resin production with suspension process (calcium carbide process and ethylene method). It also applies to judgment of clean production potential and opportunity, assessment and notification of its performance and environmental management such as environmental impact assessment and pollution discharge permit, etc. Enterprises producing PVC through EDC cracking or purchased VCM may refer to ethylene method.

This is the first issuance of the standard.

The technical requirement for data acquisition and transmission equipment of pollution emission auto monitoring system (HJ 477－2009)

The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and standard for data transmission of automatic online monitoring system for pollution emission sources (HJ/T 212), regulating construction of automatic online monitoring system for pollution sources, unifying performance indices and ensuring accuracy of data transmission.

The standard provides requirement on technical performance of data acquisition and transmission equipment used in online automatic monitoring system for pollution sources and methods for performance test.

The standard applies to selection of data acquisition and transmission equipment and its performance test. For on-site monitoring meters equipped in automatic online monitoring system for pollution sources which also serve the function of data acquisition and transmission, the standard only provides indices for functions concerned and relevant testing method.