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Reply to Questions Concerning the Regulatory Status of Coal Tar Department of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: We have received your letter titled \"Query Regarding Issues Related to the Regulatory Status of Coal Tar\" (Ning Huan Han [2025] No. 52). After examination, the reply is as follows. I. Coal tar is an important product obtained during the carbonization of coal, and it has a complex composition. Coal tar can be divided into high-temperature coal tar and medium-low temperature coal tar based on factors such as the coal carbonization temperature and furnace type. High-temperature coal tar is primarily composed of aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, and anthracene. Methods such as distillation, crystallization, extraction, polymerization, and pyrolysis are typically used to separate these components step by step, followed by purification to obtain products such as naphthalene oil, washing oil, and anthracene oil. Extracting various chemical products that meet market demands from high-temperature coal tar is a common practice in this industry, and it also helps to achieve efficient use of resources. II. The coal tar mentioned in the letter, which meets the technical requirements of the \"Coal Tar Standards\" (YB/T5075), does not fall under the category of solid waste as defined in the \"General Rules for the Identification of Solid Waste\" (GB 34330); therefore, it is not managed as solid waste. This is to respond accordingly. General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, January 24, 2025. (This document is made public.) CC: Environmental Protection Departments (Bureaus) of other provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, as well as the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.