The situation in Tangshan’s coking industry

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Recently, the Hebei Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment issued Letter No. Ji Huan Huan Ping Han 1347 regarding the lawful suspension of operations, closure, and disposal of 11 coking enterprises that were discharging pollutants without proper permits, including Tangshan Huifeng Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd. To the People’s Government of Tangshan City: During routine supervision of pollution discharge permits, our department discovered that 14 enterprises in your city – namely Tangshan Huifeng Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd., Tangshan Rongfeng Steel Co., Ltd., Tangshan Fengnan District Jingan Steel Co., Ltd., Luanxian Guochuang Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd., Tangshan Guoyi Special Steel Co., Ltd., Tangshan Rongyi Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd., Hebei Yongshun Industrial Group Co., Ltd., Tangsteel Meijin (Tangshan) Coal Chemical Co., Ltd., Tangshan Dongfang Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd., Tangshan Lanhai Industrial Co., Ltd., Tangshan Baoliyuan Coking Co., Ltd., Qian’an Jiujiang Coal Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., Tangshan Youli Coking Co., Ltd., and Qian’an Hong’ao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. – were discharging pollutants either as a whole or through some of their facilities without having the necessary permits. Among them, the 4.3-meter-wide 2×50-chamber coke oven of Qian’an Hong’ao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. has been shut down. The side-loading 5.5-meter-wide 72-chamber coke oven of Tangshan Rongfeng Steel Co., Ltd. and the TJL80-4355CD type ramming coke oven of Tangshan Lanhai Industrial Co., Ltd. have stopped receiving coal feed and are in the process of being shut down as well. The remaining 11 enterprises have continued to engage in illegal activities of discharging pollutants from all or part of their facilities without proper permits. The relevant information is hereby communicated as follows: 1. Facts of the violation: All 14 coking enterprises in question were built and put into operation without obtaining all the necessary environmental impact assessment procedures and pollution discharge permits. From March to September 2018, the Tangshan Ecology and Environment Bureau, in accordance with Article 61 of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s \"Administrative Measures for Emission Permits,\" issued one-year valid emission permits to 14 coking enterprises within its jurisdiction. These enterprises included 11 that did not have environmental impact assessment approvals, and 3 that had partial such approvals (Tangshan Dongfang Coking and Gas Production Co., Ltd., Qian’an Jiujiang Coal Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., and Qian’an Hong’ao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd., whose certain facilities had environmental impact assessment approvals). The bureau also demanded that these enterprises make the necessary improvements to obtain the required environmental impact assessment approvals. From March to September 2019, the emission permits for 14 coking enterprises expired one after another, yet these enterprises still had not obtained the environmental impact assessment approval documents. The Tangshan Ecology and Environment Bureau has successively revoked the pollution discharge permits of the aforementioned enterprises or amended those permits (by removing from them the information related to facilities that did not undergo environmental impact assessment procedures), and has sent notices requiring these enterprises to cease operations to the counties and districts where they are located. Upon verification, 11 coking enterprises are still in operation, discharging pollutants without a permit, which constitutes serious environmental violations. II. Handling in accordance with the law: In line with Article 99 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, Article 83 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, and Article 62 of the Interim Measures for the Administration of Emission Permits issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the authority that issued the permits shall submit recommendations to the people’s government with the power to approve such actions, so as to order those enterprises that discharge pollutants without proper permits to cease operations or close down. I urge your city to raise its political awareness and strictly implement the requirements of shared responsibilities for the Party and government as well as dual responsibilities for each position. It is necessary to strictly enforce laws and regulations related to ecological and environmental protection, and to consider the overall situation of ecological and environmental protection efforts across the province. In particular, efforts must be made to address air pollution control issues, and relevant responsibilities must be fulfilled in accordance with the law. Immediate action should be taken to shut down or cease operations those coking enterprises within the jurisdiction that discharge pollutants without proper permits ； Order the Tangshan Ecology and Environment Bureau to handle the illegal activities of coking enterprises in accordance with the law ； Severely investigate and punish acts such as failure to carry out duties and arbitrary administrative actions. At the same time, Tangshan City **should order its districts and counties** to step up supervision of coking enterprises; for those enterprises whose coking furnaces have been shut down or are in the process of being shut down, it is necessary to ensure that the shutdown is completed properly, and ongoing supervision must be strengthened to prevent resumption of production. Unlicensed waste discharge must be completely eliminated. Our department will organize inspections at the appropriate time to oversee the implementation. Regarding clues related to issues in **localities and relevant departments that fail to fulfill their statutory duties, act improperly, or engage in reckless behavior, our department will promptly transfer them to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision. Appendix 1: List of coking enterprises and facilities in Tangshan City that discharge pollutants without proper authorization. Appendix 2: List of facilities at coking enterprises in Tangshan City that have been shut down or are in the process of being shut down. The actual production capacity in Tangshan City is 34.45 million tons; among those listed in Appendix 1, the 11 coking enterprises in Tangshan City that discharge pollutants without proper authorization have a combined coking production capacity of 14.95 million tons, of which 14.35 million tons correspond to current production capacity ； In Appendix 2, the coking enterprises involved are mostly those involved in the Zongheng Iron and Steel coking replacement project (Dongfang Coking, Lanhai Industry, Rongfeng Iron and Steel, as well as some equipment from Tongbao Coking). These enterprises passed the inspection tests one after another in mid-November and are set to cease operations. The 4.3-meter coke ovens of Ruan’an Hong’ao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. were shut down in 2018, and no more coke is produced there. Relevant companies have received the relevant documents; production is proceeding normally. For updates on the implementation status, please follow our future reports on this website.