The Ministry of Ecology and Environment officially approved the environmental impact assessment for 600,000 tons of coal-based olefins production in Qinghai

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The Ministry of Environmental Protection officially approved the environmental impact assessment for Qinghai’s 600,000-ton coal-based olefins project. Author/Source: Date: June 16, 2017. Clicks: 57. On June 15, 2017, the **Ministry of Environmental Protection issued an official decision regarding the approval of the environmental impact assessment document for Qinghai Mining Group Co., Ltd.’s project to produce 600,000 tons of olefins per year. The approval decision will be published, with the publication period running from June 16, 2017, to June 22, 2017 (7 days). If citizens, legal persons, or other organizations believe that the approval decision regarding the environmental impact assessment document for a construction project, as announced, infringes upon their legitimate rights and interests, they may file an administrative reconsideration request within 60 days from the expiration of the announcement period, or they may file an administrative lawsuit within 6 months from the same date. Contact numbers: 010-66556405, 66556045 (Administrative Approval Hall). Approval regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Qinghai Mining Group Co., Ltd.’s 600,000 tons per year olefin project. Qinghai Mining Group Co., Ltd.: We have received your request titled “Submission of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Qinghai Mining Group Co., Ltd.’s 600,000 tons per year olefin project” (Qinghai Mining [2016] No. 86). After examination, the approval is as follows: 1. The project is located in the Golmud Industrial Park in Golmud City, Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It makes use of the coal resources in the surrounding area, and employs technologies such as pressurized coal gasification and methanol-to-olefins to produce products such as 600,000 tons per year of ethylene and polypropylene, as well as by-products such as sulfur, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and butene. The main components of the project include 10 units such as air separation, pulverized coal gasification, shift reaction, low-temperature methanol washing, methanol synthesis, methanol to olefins (MTO), olefin conversion, polypropylene production, MTBE/butene-1 production, and sulfur recovery. Complementary facilities include thermal power stations, circulating water systems and other auxiliary engineering projects, storage and transportation projects such as coal silos and chemical storage tanks, as well as environmental protection projects like wastewater treatment and reuse systems. 　　The project construction will facilitate the coupled development of coal chemical industry, salt lake resource exploitation, and salt chemical industry in the Qaidam Circular Economy Pilot Zone; overall, it complies with the requirements set forth in the “Environmental Access Conditions for Modern Coal Chemical Construction Projects (Trial).” Due to the large number of projects planned and under construction in the Golmud Industrial Park, pollutant emissions are expected to increase in the future. In line with the requirements for environmental quality and the needs of these projects, the people of Golmud City have formulated a plan for reducing pollutants in the region. The implementation of this project will have certain adverse effects on the environment; it is therefore necessary to strictly enforce various measures for pollution prevention and ecological protection, as well as to adopt the strictest environmental risk prevention measures, environmental management systems, environmental monitoring, and emergency response procedures. After comprehensive consideration, our department In principle agrees to the nature, scale, processes, location of the construction projects, as well as the environmental protection measures outlined in your company’s environmental impact report. 　　II. Key tasks to be addressed in project construction and operation management (1) During design, construction, and operation, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of circular economy, clean production, and green, orderly development. The layout of the plant site, process routes, and design plans should be further optimized, and energy-saving and consumption-reduction measures for various facilities should be strengthened in order to reduce the generation and emission of pollutants. Ensure effective coordination with supporting projects such as the high-concentration brine transmission pipeline project. 　　(II) Strictly implement various measures for air pollution control to ensure that emissions of various air pollutants and the installation of exhaust stacks meet or exceed the relevant national and local standard requirements. 　　Flue gas from heating furnaces and flue gas from catalyst regeneration in methanol-to-olefins units shall be discharged only after meeting the special emission limits stipulated in the “Emission Standards for Pollutants from the Petrochemical Industry” (GB31571-2015). The exhaust gases from the purification units and those from the sulfur recovery units must meet the requirements of the \"Emission Standards for Pollutants in the Petrochemical Industry\" (GB31571-2015) and the \"Emission Standards for Odorous Pollutants\" (GB14554-93) respectively before being discharged. 　　The flue gas from waste alkali incinerators shall meet the discharge requirements specified in the \"Standards for Pollution Control of Hazardous Waste Incineration\" (GB18484-2001). Dust-containing waste gases from polypropylene pelletizing and silos, etc., must meet the special emission limits stipulated in the “Emission Standards for Pollutants from the Synthetic Resin Industry” (GB31572-2015) before being discharged. 　　The flue gas from boilers is subjected to desulfurization, denitrification, and dust removal treatments. Dust, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides must meet the ultra-low emission requirements specified in the \"Work Plan for the Full Implementation of Ultra-Low Emission and Energy-Saving Upgrades in Coal-Fired Power Plants\" (Huan Fa [2015] No. 164) before being released; mercury and its compounds must comply with the special emission limits set out in the \"Emission Standards for Air Pollutants from Thermal Power Plants\" (GB13223-2011) before being discharged. 　　Strengthen control measures for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), malodorous gases, and toxic and hazardous gases; ensure proper leak detection and repair, oil and gas recovery from storage and transportation systems, sealed wastewater treatment, and waste gas treatment, in order to effectively control uncontrolled emissions. 　　The pollutant concentrations at the factory boundary shall meet the Requirements for Emission of Odorous Pollutants (GB14554-93), Requirements for Emission of Pollutants in the Petrochemical Industry (GB31571-2015), and Comprehensive Emission Standards for Air Pollutants (GB16297-1996). 　　The total emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, VOCs, and smoke and dust for this project shall not exceed 339 tons per year, 665 tons per year, 189 tons per year, and 1045 tons per year, respectively. At the same time, ensure comprehensive utilization of the carbon dioxide generated by the project for oilfield flooding. 　　(III) Strictly implement various measures for water pollution prevention and control, further increase the rate of water reuse, and reduce the consumption of fresh water and the volume of wastewater generated. Further optimize the wastewater treatment and reuse plan to ensure that production wastewater is treated and reused according to its quality under normal operating conditions. 　　Wastewater from facilities such as gasification should undergo proper pretreatment. The wastewater treatment facilities at the sewage treatment plant employ a multi-stage biochemical process; after being treated via membrane technology in the wastewater reuse facilities and concentrated brine treatment system, most of the water is reused. 　　The high-concentration brine is sent to the high-concentration brine treatment system. After being treated using the “separation membrane + impurity removal + adsorption oxidation” process, it is transported via pipelines to the Bieletan demonstration project in the Qarhan Salt Lake’s dissolution area, where it serves as supplementary water for the leaching agent used in mineral dissolution and extraction. The quality control parameters for high-concentration brine at the time of release from the plant should be in accordance with the \"Emission Standards for Pollutants in the Petrochemical Industry\" (GB31571-2015); specifically, the chemical oxygen demand should be kept below 220 milligrams per liter, and the total organic carbon content should be kept below 80 milligrams per liter. Install an evaporation-crystallization desalination unit as a backup measure for treating high-concentration brine, and ensure smooth switching between the two systems. 　　In accordance with the \"Environmental Access Requirements for Modern Coal Chemical Industry Construction Projects (Trial)\", your company’s proposal to use highly concentrated brine in the extraction of solid potassium resources from salt lakes for resource utilization is approved as an environmental protection demonstration task for this project. Your company should strictly control the quality and quantity of high-concentration brine exported, monitor the quality and quantity of water at the point of discharge, and establish a connection with the environmental protection authorities. It should also coordinate closely with Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., Ltd., and submit a report on the environmental impact assessment of the demonstration project within one year of its operation to our department for record-keeping. 　　(IV) Further optimize the site selection for the factory complex and the layout of key pollution control areas, effectively implement measures to prevent groundwater pollution, and ensure that the leak prevention facilities are robust and secure. 　　In accordance with the \"Technical Specifications for Seepage Control in Petrochemical Projects\" (GB/T50934-2013), zone-based seepage control measures should be implemented for key pollution control areas and general pollution control areas. Areas such as production units handling organic liquid materials, chemical storage and transportation areas, floors in acid and alkali tank areas, as well as production wastewater ditches, should be classified as key pollution control areas rather than general pollution control areas. For wastewater temporary storage ponds, the natural foundation layer beneath the artificial impermeable layer should be replaced with clay to ensure compliance with the “Pollution Control Standards for Hazardous Waste Landfills” (GB18598-2001). The anti-seepage design of the temporary hazardous waste storage areas and temporary slag dumping sites within the plant shall meet respectively the \"Pollution Control Standards for the Storage of Hazardous Wastes\" (GB18597-2001) and the \"Pollution Control Standards for the Storage and Disposal Sites of General Industrial Solid Wastes\" (GB18599-2001). 　　After the anti-seepage work is completed, a test report must be issued by a qualified entity; if the required anti-seepage performance standards are not met, the project shall not be put into operation. Strengthen the routine maintenance of the leakage prevention facilities, and promptly repair and reinforce those that are damaged. Strengthen leak detection in concealed works by installing an automatic leak detection and alarm system beneath the high-density polyethylene anti-seepage membrane and under the tank bottoms in the tank farm; also install automatic level detectors in the leakage collection wells within the dikes surrounding the production facilities. 　　Establish a comprehensive groundwater monitoring system, reasonably locate groundwater monitoring wells and emergency wells, and strictly implement the groundwater monitoring plan. In the event of groundwater contamination, immediately activate the emergency plan and measures to minimize the degree of pollution to water bodies and soil. 　　(5) Strengthen various environmental risk prevention measures to effectively avert environmental risks. In the event of an accident, the process exhaust gases from various units are sent to the flare system for treatment. As required, tertiary accident water control facilities shall be installed, and they shall be designed and constructed separately from the wastewater temporary storage facilities; mixing of these facilities is prohibited in normal conditions. Implement separate systems for rainwater and wastewater to prevent accidental contamination of the rainwater system. In the event of extreme accidents, the accident water from the plant area can be transported via pipelines to the accident water tank in the Golmud Industrial Park for temporary storage. 　　Equip sufficient emergency response teams, equipment, and supplies, formulate emergency plans for sudden environmental incidents, and ensure coordination with the emergency plans of the Golmud Industrial Park and Golmud City. 　　(VI) Improve management and operational standards; intensify training for management and operating personnel; and formulate comprehensive inspection, repair, and maintenance procedures from an environmental protection perspective, so as to further reduce the frequency of abnormal operating conditions such as startup and shutdown, as well as the intensity of pollutant emissions. Take necessary coal-blending measures to ensure stable coal quality, thereby reducing the frequency of abnormal operating conditions and the amount of pollutants generated at the source. 　　Establish a comprehensive management and dispatch system for water systems to gradually achieve refined management of these systems; if necessary, take measures such as reducing production or shutting down operations to ensure that wastewater is not discharged. The biological wastewater treatment system should be commissioned before the main production equipment is started up. Under abnormal operating conditions, wastewater should be temporarily stored in wastewater holding tanks of sufficient capacity, depending on its quality; the wastewater in these tanks will be sent back to the wastewater treatment plant for processing once the system returns to normal operation. The temporary storage tank is equipped with a high-level alarm device and a plant-wide shutdown interlock switch; it must not operate at a high water level for an extended period. 　　(7) Strictly implement measures to prevent and control solid waste pollution. In accordance with relevant national and local regulations, solid waste is collected, processed, and disposed of in a classified manner to ensure that no secondary pollution is caused. Waste catalysts contained in hazardous waste are recovered by manufacturers, sent out for comprehensive utilization, or disposed of safely at hazardous waste landfills. Sewage sludge is sent to qualified cement kilns for co-processing. Strictly implement the hazardous waste transfer document system, strengthen environmental protection measures for the transportation of hazardous waste, and ensure that no sudden environmental incidents occur during transportation. General solid wastes such as gasified ash and slag are given priority for comprehensive utilization; those that cannot be utilized are sent to regular solid waste landfills for disposal. Before the hazardous waste landfills and general solid waste landfills come into operation, the gasification unit of this project shall not be put into production. 　　(8) Implement measures for sound environment and ecological environment protection. Priority should be given to the use of low-noise equipment, and noise reduction measures such as sound insulation, vibration damping, and noise cancellation should be employed to ensure that the noise level at the factory boundary meets the Class 3 standards specified in the \"Emission Standards for Environmental Noise at the Boundaries of Industrial Enterprises\" (GB12348-2008). Ensure environmental protection during the project construction phase. 　　(9) Strictly control the emissions of pollutants characteristic to projects, and establish an environmental monitoring system that covers both organized and unorganized emissions. In accordance with the **Procedures for Self-monitoring and Information Disclosure by Enterprises under Key Monitoring (Trial)** as well as other relevant standards, regulations, and requirements, long-term environmental monitoring is carried out, with the monitoring results being made publicly available on a regular basis. 　　(10) Establish an environmental management team that meets the requirements of the project’s environmental protection efforts, improve various corporate environmental management systems, and strengthen environmental management. Establish smooth channels for public participation, proactively disclose corporate environmental protection information, and meet the public’s legitimate environmental protection demands. 　　(11) The construction of this project must strictly adhere to the environmental protection principle of \"simultaneous design, simultaneous construction, and simultaneous commissioning\" for environmental protection facilities, ensuring that these facilities are developed alongside the main project. Earnestly carry out environmental supervision during the construction period; prior to the project’s commissioning, make the environmental supervision report public and submit it to the Qinghai Provincial Department of Environmental Protection for record-keeping. Once the environmental impact assessment report is approved, if there are significant changes in the nature, scale, location, production processes, or environmental protection measures of the project that could lead to substantial changes in the environmental impact (particularly an increase in adverse environmental impacts), the environmental impact assessment report for that project must be submitted for approval again. 　　(12) Ensure an organic connection between environmental impact assessment and the application for discharge permits. Incorporate into the discharge permits all environmental protection measures specified in the approved environmental impact assessment documents, the list of pollutant emissions, the implementation status of regional pollutant reduction and substitution plans, and other relevant information; discharges must then be carried out in accordance with these permits. After the project is completed, an environmental protection acceptance inspection upon completion must be carried out in accordance with the prescribed procedures. Conduct post-evaluation of environmental impact in accordance with the Administrative Measures for Post-Evaluation of Environmental Impact of Construction Projects (Trial). 　　III. Your company should assist local people’s governments and relevant departments in carrying out the following tasks:
(1) Cooperate with the people’s government of Golmud City to implement the review opinions regarding the environmental impact assessment of the overall plans for the Qaidam Circular Economy Pilot Zone and Golmud Industrial Zone. With the improvement of environmental quality as the core objective, strictly control the scale of development in the chemical industry and enforce strict environmental access criteria for projects. The construction of modern coal chemical projects shall comply with the “Environmental Access Conditions for Modern Coal Chemical Construction Projects (Trial)”. Carry out afforestation, restoration of grasslands after livestock grazing is ceased, and other regional ecological restoration projects to improve the regional ecological and atmospheric environment quality. 　　Freeing up environmental capacity through regional pollutant reduction is a prerequisite for the construction of this project. It is necessary to duly implement the plans for regional pollutant reduction and responsibility allocation in Golmud City (Documents No. 57 [2016] and No. 91 [2017] issued by the Golmud Municipal Government). Various measures aimed at reducing atmospheric pollutants must be carried out, including the upgrading and renovation of the Golmud Refinery, the technological transformation of Golmud Yuyuan Co., Ltd., and the dust and sulfur dioxide removal project at Golmud Xiyu Co., Ltd. These efforts must ensure that prior to the project’s commissioning, the total annual emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, soot and dust, and VOCs are reduced by no less than 7,729 tons, 4,367 tons, 2,733 tons, and 1,478 tons respectively. The aforementioned projects to reduce atmospheric pollutants must be completed before the project applies for a pollution discharge permit. 　　(II) In line with the plans formulated by the people of Korla City, proper planning controls should be implemented; residential areas must maintain a sufficient distance from industrial areas. No environmentally sensitive buildings such as residential, educational, or medical facilities shall be planned or constructed within the protection zone of the project. 　　(III) In coordination with the Korla Industrial Park Management Committee, environmental protection infrastructure such as accident ponds in the industrial park, as well as facilities for preventing environmental risks, will be constructed simultaneously with the project. Regular management and maintenance of these environmental protection infrastructures in the industrial park will be ensured, and joint efforts will be made to control environmental risks, so as to guarantee that the projects in the park do not cause pollution to the environment. Establish an environmental monitoring system for industrial parks that includes characteristic pollutants such as non-methane total hydrocarbons, VOCs, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and benzene derivatives, as well as conventional pollutants; carry out monitoring of environmental quality aspects such as air, groundwater, and soil in these industrial parks, and submit reports to the Qinghai Provincial Department of Environmental Protection on an annual basis starting from 2017. 　　(IV) In coordination with the Water Resources Bureau of Golmud City, and in accordance with the requirements set out in the \"Explanation on the Construction of Drinking Water Pipeline Networks in the Residential Areas downstream of the Golmud Industrial Park\" (Ge Zheng Shui Han [2016] No. 39), the construction of drinking water pipeline networks in those residential areas as well as the closure of the existing drinking water wells are to be completed on schedule, so as to ensure that the construction activities in the industrial park do not affect the residents’ access to drinking water. 　　IV. Tasks such as the implementation of regional pollutant reduction plans for which the local people bear primary responsibility, environmental quality monitoring, and the identification of alternative sources of drinking water should be incorporated into the oversight framework for environmental protection. 　　V. Our department has entrusted the Northwest Environmental Protection Inspection Center and the Qinghai Provincial Department of Environmental Protection to carry out the supervision and inspection related to the \"three simultaneities\" principle, as well as the overall supervision and management of this project. 　　VI. Your company shall, within 20 working days after receiving this approval, send the approved environmental impact assessment report to the Northwest Environmental Protection Inspection Center of our department, the Qinghai Provincial Department of Environmental Protection, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and the Environmental Protection Bureau of Golmud City. It shall also submit itself to the regular supervision and inspection by the environmental protection authorities at all relevant levels as required by regulations. 　　Ministry of Environmental Protection