A letter from a casting business owner to the environmental protection director! (Every word hits deep)

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Dear Director of the Environmental Protection Bureau, hello. I am the owner of a foundry business that unfortunately fell victim to the environmental crisis; well, I should say former owner. 9 O* t, A1 H8 E+ a5 R/ j I’d like to speak from the bottom of my heart; I hope you won’t mind my directness. First of all, congratulations. The efforts to protect the environment are intensifying increasingly, and environmental inspections have been launched on a wide scale; inspections have been carried out in eight provinces and regions including Shandong, Sichuan, and Fujian, yielding good results in terms of improvement. To be honest, we all hope to enjoy blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters. The persistent fog over the years has become a constant source of pain; who doesn’t want to be healthy? But as the saying goes, \"Don’t wash the radish too soon after harvesting it.\" Environmental improvement should be carried out step by step, from the source through the process to the end result. Is it too hasty to try to resolve problems that have accumulated over many years in just a few months or a year? We, as small and medium-sized enterprises, fully agree with the general trend toward environmental protection and are determined to pursue a path of sustainable development. However, compared to those larger foundry companies with greater resources and better capabilities in terms of environmental protection, we lack the necessary means to do so. Like the small foundry I used to run, with a little over thirty employees, its profits were meager, just enough to cover the expenses. Technical improvements, equipment innovation, architectural reorganization, energy conservation and emission reduction, etc., all require operational costs, which represent a heavy burden for us. Not only that, but some environmental certification agencies demand exorbitant amounts as \"environmental public relations fees.\" Without paying these huge sums, it is impossible to obtain the environmental certification, which is an even greater burden for our small and medium-sized enterprises. However, environmental protection agencies in many places are worried about being held accountable; in their pursuit of performance metrics, they adopt overly strict measures that lack precision, apply penalties in a generic manner without considering specific circumstances, and follow **standard procedures, which results in only large enterprises surviving. The so-called environmental remediation actually boils down to one thing: shutting down operations! 2 u9 n% {4 e; @ There are various restrictions on production and shutdowns; the goods in the warehouses have long been gone, and the factories have also stopped operating. Customer orders cannot be completed, resulting in losses due to halted production. Who will cover our losses? Who will feed us and the workers? The northwestern wind made him feel like dying. ( j, P8 `" a& r1 j" z7 r. x2 i once said: Small enterprises should be everywhere, while large enterprises should stand tall. We are small and micro enterprises. Although they are small, they are by no means insignificant or minor in the overall socio-economy. : We are an important force in China’s economic development. The vast majority of small and micro enterprises are private-owned, accounting for over 95% of all enterprises in the country. These small, medium, and micro enterprises provide more than 80% of jobs in urban areas, playing a crucial role in driving economic growth, fostering market prosperity, and expanding employment opportunities. 3 ?& U5 r& D8 U+ M, Y7 l3 s We too have contributed to the local economy and to **development; now, for the sake of environmental protection, they consider us an obstacle and push us aside. How can this not make us feel heartbroken? How can it not fill us with resentment! As a department, as those in charge of serving the people, our role is to guide and assist enterprises in meeting environmental standards in their production processes, rather than simply shutting down these enterprises in a harsh manner, ignoring the unspoken rules related to environmental assessments, and turning a deaf ear to the concerns of the people. In our area, many casting factories have closed down, resulting in widespread unemployment. Many people have elderly parents and children to support, making it difficult for them to make ends meet. As a result, some idle individuals have started to think of dishonest ways to make money, such as stealing. If this continues, the gap between the rich and the poor will become extremely pronounced. Once feelings of dissatisfaction and resentment start to accumulate, it’s like oil in a boiling pan – even the slightest spark can cause an explosion, and in the end, it is society as a whole that suffers. We want green mountains and clear waters, but we also need work to ensure food and shelter! We’re not being unreasonable or greedy; we simply have no other choice. ) m# |7 Y6 _" b We hope you can understand our difficulties, reduce the frequency of environmental inspections, give us some time to catch our breath, and introduce more supportive policies rather than simply ordering closures. Can the costs of technological improvements, governance expenses, and losses from production shutdowns also be covered to some extent? Let’s lighten the burden on our shoulders to help us overcome difficulties and achieve a smooth transition. Thank you for reading. A caster