SEPA Minister Zhou Shengxian disclosed that the first three quarters of this year witnessed the first ever "double fall" of the total discharge volume of two major pollutants nationwide at the National River Pollution Prevention and Control Meeting held today. Of the two pollutants, SO2 emission volume was down by 1.81% compared to the same period last year, while COD was down by 0.28%, marking gratifying progress in the work of pollution reduction.

Minister Zhou noted that, starting from this year, various localities and departments have seriously implemented the deployment of the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council and further increased the efforts in pollution reduction. The discharge volume of SO2 of the first half of this year nationwide was down by 0.88% than the same period last year, down by 1.81% of the first three quarters, demonstrating a continuous trend of decrease. The discharge volume of COD has shifted from the growth of 0.24% in the first half of this year nationwide to the drop of 0.28% in the first three quarters compared to the same period last year, representing a turn from increase to decrease for the first time.

Minister Zhou further pointed out that the SEPA has continuous strengthened efforts centered on the core task of pollution discharge reduction and that all the measures have gained prominent effect.

First, the pollution reduction of projects has been advanced. Starting from this year, the project of desulphurization of thermal power generation units has progressed substantively with the newly added desulphurization of the capacity of installed units in the first three quarters reaching 74,120 MW, 1.5 times that of the capacity of thermal power generation units newly put into operation. In addition, the newly added 11.56 million tons/day of urban wastewater treatment capacity has been put into operation gradually. In addition, a total amount of 9 million tons/day of urban wastewater treatment capacity was newly built or increased under expansion projects during the first three quarters of this year. The pollution source treatment project of key industries has been carried out steadily, and over 1700 key companies have employed integrated wastewater treatment measures.

Second, the work of pollution discharge reduction through restructuring has been earnestly handled. The work of elimination of outmoded production capacity nationwide has achieved substantial results. In specific, during the first three quarters of this year, 9030 MW capacity of small-scale thermal power generation units has been closed down, 9.69 million tons of production capacity of small steel making plants, 8.73 million tons of production capacity of small iron manufacturing plants and 5.6 million tons of production capacity of small coking factories have been eliminated. 350 thousand tons of alcohol production capacity based on outdated techniques and 1.7 million tons of papermaking capacity have been phased out, over 500 papermaking enterprises failing to meet the target of up-to-the-standard pollution discharge were ordered to stop production for rectification, around 400 papermaking enterprises are ordered to improve their pollution treatment facilities within a set limit of time, and a group of heavily-polluting chemical and printing and dyeing enterprises have been closed down.

Third, the pollution discharge reduction through management has been expedited. The construction of pollution discharge reduction indicators, statistics and monitoring system has been boosted, and inter-departmental coordination has been strengthened for the release of pricing, financial and trade policy measures conducive to pollution discharge reduction. The move of "prohibition of new projects within regions" has also been taken to urge non-compliant projects to take rectification moves so as to control pollution from the source. The move to crack down illegal pollution discharge enterprises has gained some progress. By the end of September of this year, the environmental protection special action has checked 690 thousand unit/time of enterprises, dealt with over 10 thousand illegal cases, blacklisted 4425 cases for rectification under surveillance within a set limit of time and ascertained the responsibility of 429 people, harshly cracking down on environmental law-breaking activities.

Minister Zhou emphasized that the present pollution discharge reduction situation is rather grave, environmental protection tasks are very heavy, and the prospect is not so optimistic for the attainment of the pollution reduction targets set down in the 11th "Five-Year" Plan. In the latter half of this year, we must fully implement the scientific outlook on development, intensify our resolution, spend more efforts and take more effective measures to fully enhance the implementation of all the tasks defined in the Comprehensive Work Plan on Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction of the State Council in light of the spirit of the 17th National Congress of the CPC. While consolidating the achievements we have made in pollution reduction during the first three quarters of this year, we should strive to reach the "double fall" of the discharge volume of the two major pollutants nationwide from 2005 by the end of this year.