Intensive Tightening of Environmental Control in Government

07/02/2017

People wear respiratory masks in Beijing's central business district during December after a red alert was issued for heavy air pollution. Jason Lee / Reuters

​chinaurbanisationnews

Image: Minstry of Environmental Protection

The New Year saw northern China shrouded in a cloud of thick smog that sent air pollution to hazardous levels and resulted in more than 60 cities imposing joint emergency measures, such as the suspension of manufacturing activity, to reduce emissions of noxious gases.

​In addition to short-term emergency measures, the central government last year strengthened supervision of policymakers by introducing environmental inspections conducted by high-level cadres.

The teams of central inspectors, headed by ministerial-level cadres, debuted during a month-long inspection in Hebei province on Jan 4 last year. The 16 teams of investigators conducted inspections in 16 provinces and regions, completing the final round of inspections on Dec 30, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

By the same date, 720 people had been detained on charges of polluting the environment, and fines were levied totaling more than 441 million yuan ($63 million), the ministry said.

However, rather than simply punishing polluting companies, the focus has now shifted to investigating the actions of local governments to "highlight the major roles played by policy-makers in environmental issues", said Chen Jining, the environment minister.

The inspections have become a powerful weapon in the fight against pollution, in tandem with a number of long-term measures and environmentally-friendly policies adopted by the central government.​

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Environmental inspectors dispatched by the central government examine a polluting power plant in Heze, Shandong province, in December.Cai Yang/ Xinhua

Accountability storm
Last year, the inspectors launched a large-scale "accountability storm" targeting government officials after some key leaders, who should play major roles in environmental protection, failed to fulfill their responsibilities.

Unlike officials from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which usually conducts pollution checks, the central inspectors have greater power to hold talks with leading provincial officials.

Additionally, the teams investigated reports filed by the public via a phone hotline and special email box, and conducted field investigations into the issues that attracted the most attention.
The teams were also allowed to speak frankly with local governments to examine problems that had been swept under the carpet.

Weak implementation
Neglect and weak implementation of anti-pollution measures were exposed in the inspection.

A large number of illegal buildings such as hotels, apartments and villas with a combined floor area of 140,000 square meters, were constructed inside the protection zone. They were still on sale during the inspections.

In addition, other issues were highlighted, including the insufficient attention local governments paid to environmental protection and the excessive exploitation of natural resources.

According to the inspectors, some regions have experienced environmental degradation, such as declines in the quality of air, water and soil, pointing to areas where the provinces need to improve.

After the inspections, more than 6,400 government officials were held accountable for the poor quality of their anti-pollution work, resulting in punishments including suspensions, public criticism and lost promotions, according to the ministry.

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Two environmental protection officers check the level of sulfur dioxide emissions at a heat-supply plant in Beijing, Nov 18, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Stricter controls
Messages left on the hotline and special email box exposed more than 26,000 heavily polluting companies, whose details were passed on to the relevant governments. That resulted in the imposition of strict punishments, such as heavy fines and more than 20,000 businesses being ordered to suspend production.

The strict investigations provided solutions to many long-standing thorny problems. It has been effective in sending out a signal that the environment is related to social and economic growth.

​The investigations have also helped the central and local governments to formulate solutions to problems, resulting in more effective efforts to improve the environment.

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Originally, China Daily

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