How are the protected areas in the Taihu Lake basin designated and established?

The Regulations of Jiangsu Province on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution in Taihu Lake came into effect on June 5, 2008. According to the regulations, the Taihu Lake basin is subject to hierarchical protection, divided into three levels of protected areas: the Taihu Lake itself, the area within five kilometers along the lake’s shores, and the ten kilometers upstream along the rivers flowing into the lake, as well as one kilometer on each side of these areas, constitute the first-level protected areas; the ten to fifty kilometers upstream along the main rivers flowing into the lake, along with one kilometer on each side of those areas, form the second-level protected areas; all other areas are classified as third-level protected areas.

Regulations of Jiangsu Province on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution in Taihu Lake -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Adopted at the 21st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth People’s Congress of Jiangsu Province on June 14, 1996; amended at the 32nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth People’s Congress of Jiangsu Province on September 27, 2007) Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in order to strengthen the prevention and control of water pollution in Taihu Lake, protect and improve the water quality of the lake, ensure the safety of drinking water sources and human health, and promote coordinated development of the economy, society, and the environment, in accordance with laws and regulations such as the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution. Article 2 These regulations apply to the prevention and control of pollution in surface water bodies in the Taihu Lake basin within the administrative region of this province. The Taihu Lake basin includes the Taihu Lake itself, all the administrative areas of Suzhou City, Wuxi City, Changzhou City, and Danyang City, as well as the areas within the administrative regions of Jurong City, Gaochun County, and Lishui County where rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies that affect the quality of Taihu Lake’s water are located. The Taihu Lake basin is subject to hierarchical protection, divided into three levels of protected areas: the Taihu Lake itself, the area within five kilometers along the lake’s shores, the ten kilometers upstream along the rivers that feed into the lake, and an additional one kilometer on each side of the shore constitute the first level of protected areas ； The area extending 10 to 50 kilometers upstream along the main rivers flowing into the lake, as well as a zone of 1 kilometer on each side along the shoreline, constitutes the secondary protection area ； Other areas are classified as level three protected zones. The specific boundaries of the first, second, and third-level protection areas in the Taihu Lake basin are determined and announced by the provincial people’s government. Article 3: Local people at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin **shall implement the scientific development concept, adhere to the principle of giving priority to environmental protection, follow the approach of planning first and then developing, conducting environmental impact assessments before initiating projects, and pursue development while protecting the environment, as well as protecting the environment while carrying out development. The prevention and control of water pollution in Taihu Lake should adhere to the principles of giving priority to prevention, combining prevention with control, unified planning, and comprehensive management. Strict environmental protection standards should be implemented, stringent remedial measures taken, and a robust monitoring system established to effectively prevent and control industrial pollution, domestic pollution, and agricultural non-point source pollution. This will help to control and reduce eutrophication in Taihu Lake, thereby leading to a significant improvement in its water quality. Article 4: Local people’s governments at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin **shall incorporate water pollution prevention and control efforts for Taihu Lake into the national economic and social development plans, increase funding for such efforts, and ensure that the needs related to water pollution prevention and control are met. Local people at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin are **responsible for the water quality within their respective administrative areas. **The principal responsible person bears primary responsibility for achieving the environmental protection targets set for their term in office, and the fulfillment of these targets serves as an important factor in assessing and evaluating their performance. Local people’s governments at the county level and above in the Taihu Lake basin shall regularly report on water pollution prevention and control work to the people’s governments at the next higher level and to the standing committees of the people’s congresses at the same level. The standing committees of the people’s congresses at the county level and above in the Taihu Lake basin shall regularly supervise and inspect the work related to the prevention and control of water pollution in the Taihu Lake area. Article 5: The Taihu Lake Water Pollution Prevention and Control Committees established by the provincial governments and the people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin are responsible for coordinating and resolving major issues related to the prevention and control of Taihu Lake water pollution within their respective administrative areas. They also oversee and inspect the performance of duties related to water pollution prevention and control by relevant departments and lower-level government agencies, as well as the progress of such work, and exercise other powers assigned to them by the corresponding level of government. Article 6 The provincial environmental protection departments and the environmental protection departments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin shall exercise unified supervision and management over water pollution prevention and control work within their respective administrative regions. The departments in charge of development and reform, economic trade, water resources, construction, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, finance, science and technology, land and resources, health, industry and commerce, quality and technical supervision, pricing, and tourism at the provincial level as well as in the cities and counties (cities, districts) within the Taihu Lake basin, carry out supervision and management over the prevention and control of water pollution in this basin, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, in coordination with the environmental protection departments. Article 7: Local people’s governments at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin **shall incorporate scientific and technological progress in water pollution control into their science and technology development plans, designate it as a priority area for such development, strengthen basic research on water pollution control, promote the application of advanced and suitable technologies for water pollution control, and actively carry out the development and application of technologies for controlling blue-green algae, so as to provide scientific and technological support for the comprehensive management of water pollution in the Taihu Lake basin. Article 8 The people’s ** governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin, as well as departments responsible for environmental protection, shall carry out publicity and education on laws, regulations regarding the prevention and control of water pollution in Taihu Lake, as well as scientific knowledge related to such prevention and control, in order to enhance the whole society’s awareness of the need to protect the water environment of Taihu Lake. The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin, along with their environmental protection agencies, shall take measures to ensure citizens’ right to access environmental information, and encourage and support citizens and social organizations in participating in the protection of the water environment in the Taihu Lake area. Article 9: All entities and individuals in the Taihu Lake basin shall abide by these regulations and have the right to report and lodge complaints against any acts that pollute or damage the water environment. Units and individuals that have made significant achievements in the prevention and control of water pollution in the Taihu Lake basin shall be commended and rewarded by the local people’s governments at or above the county level or by the relevant departments. Chapter 2 Supervision and Management Article 10 The provincial development and reform department, in conjunction with the provincial departments responsible for environmental protection, water resources, construction, economic trade, agriculture, transportation, fisheries, forestry, as well as the people’s governments of relevant cities, formulates a plan for the prevention and control of water pollution in the Taihu Lake basin based on the plan established for this purpose. Such a plan is submitted to the provincial people’s government for approval before it can be put into effect, and it is also incorporated into the province’s overall national economic and social development plans. The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin, in accordance with the water pollution prevention and control plan for the Taihu Lake basin formulated by higher-level people’s governments, organize the formulation of such plans for their respective administrative areas, and incorporate them into the national economic and social development plans. Formulating plans for economic and social development and carrying out various development and construction activities in the Taihu Lake basin shall comply with the water pollution prevention and control plan for the Taihu Lake basin. Article 11 The people’s governments of provinces and the people’s governments of cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin, together with their relevant departments, shall organize the formulation of plans related to land use, as well as plans for the construction, development, and utilization of specific regions and basins. During the planning process, an environmental impact assessment must be conducted, and a section or description regarding the environmental impacts associated with such plans shall be prepared. If no section or explanation regarding environmental impacts is provided, the approval authority will not grant approval. The people’s governments of provinces and the people’s governments of cities, counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin, along with their relevant departments, when formulating special plans related to industry, urban construction, energy, water resources, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, forestry, tourism, and natural resource development, shall organize environmental impact assessments prior to submitting the drafts of such plans for approval, and shall submit environmental impact reports to the authorities responsible for approving those plans. If an environmental impact report is not attached, the approval authority will not grant approval. Article 12: The relevant departments at the provincial level, such as those responsible for development and reform serta economic trade, in conjunction with the provincial environmental protection department, shall formulate a list of industries and products that are prohibited or restricted in the Taihu Lake basin. This list shall be approved by the provincial people’s congress before it is issued and put into effect. The Taihu Lake basin should, in accordance with **regulations, phase out outdated processes and equipment that cause severe pollution to the water environment within a specified time frame. Departments such as those responsible for development and reform, economic trade, environmental protection, industry and commerce, and quality and technical supervision shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of the provisions of this article. Article 13: The provincial people’s **government** may formulate local standards for items that are not specified in the water environment quality standards and water pollutant discharge standards ； For items already specified in the water pollutant discharge standards, local water pollutant discharge standards that are stricter than those standards can be established. The provincial people’s government revises the local standards for water environment quality and pollutant discharge in a timely manner, in line with the needs of protecting water quality in the Taihu Lake basin, optimizing the industrial structure, and adjusting industrial layouts. Article 14: The provincial environmental protection department, in conjunction with the water resources and fisheries departments as well as other relevant departments, shall organize a water quality monitoring network in the Taihu Lake basin, establish systems for water quality monitoring and early warning as well as emergency response, in order to enhance capabilities in monitoring, analysis, and emergency handling. The provincial Taihu Lake water environment monitoring agency, in conjunction with the provincial hydrological survey agency, is responsible for monitoring the water quality of Taihu Lake itself, as well as of the rivers that flow into and out of the lake, and of the waters along the boundaries between various cities. It shall regularly report on the water quality conditions to the provincial Taihu Lake water pollution prevention and control committee and relevant departments; in the event of any emergency, it must report promptly. Article 15: The provincial environmental protection department shall, in conjunction with the water resources department, scientifically plan and reasonably determine the monitoring sites (sections) for the water quality in the Taihu Lake basin. It shall formulate plans for the establishment of water environment and pollution monitoring systems, and set up automatic water quality monitoring systems at the drinking water sources used by water treatment plants that supply more than 10,000 tons of water per day, as well as on the main rivers flowing into and out of the lake and at the administrative boundaries between cities and counties (cities, districts). Regular monitoring and evaluation of water quality shall be carried out, and the results shall be reported to the provincial people’s government, as well as communicated to the relevant local people’s governments and provincial departments. The costs associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of automatic monitoring systems are included in the budgets of various departments at all levels. Article 16 For new construction, renovation, or expansion projects in the Taihu Lake basin that may cause water pollution, an environmental impact assessment must be conducted in accordance with the law, and the project must be submitted to the environmental protection authority with the authority to approve it for approval. If the environmental impact assessment document for a construction project has not been reviewed by the environmental protection authority with the authority to approve such documents, or if it is not approved following such review, the project’s approval authority shall not grant approval for its construction, and the construction unit shall not commence work on it. The construction entity shall submit the approved environmental impact assessment documents to the industrial and commercial authorities at the time of applying for registration. When new, modified, or expanded discharge outlets are established in rivers and lakes within the Taihu Lake basin, approval from the water resources department is required, followed by approval of the environmental impact assessment documents by the environmental protection department. Article 17: Facilities for preventing and controlling water pollution in construction projects shall be designed, constructed, and put into use simultaneously with the main project. Facilities for preventing and controlling water pollution must be inspected and approved by the environmental protection department authorized to examine the environmental impact assessment documents for such construction projects ； If the specified requirements are not met, the construction project shall not be put into production or use. Facilities for preventing and controlling water pollution must remain in normal operation; they shall not be removed or left idle without approval. Article 18: In the Taihu Lake basin, a responsibility system is implemented to ensure that water quality meets the standards for surface water (environmental) function zones, as well as a responsibility system for monitoring water quality at points along the water bodies upstream and downstream of administrative boundaries; these systems are also incorporated into the **environmental protection performance targets for specific terms in office. If the water quality at the junction point fails to meet the control targets, the people of the responsible area **shall provide compensation to the people of the affected area**. The compensation funds can be deducted directly by the provincial finance department. The specific measures shall be formulated by the provincial people’s **. Article 19: Except for pollution control projects, environmental impact assessment documents for new construction, renovation, or expansion projects that may cause pollution within the following areas of the Taihu Lake basin shall be suspended from acceptance by the environmental protection authorities with approval authority; for those that have already been accepted, approval decisions shall be suspended: (1) Areas where the water quality in surface water (environmental) function zones does not meet the specified standards ； (II) The water quality at the river junctions across administrative regions fails to meet the control targets ； (III) The total amount of waste discharged exceeds the control targets ； (IV) Failing to complete the task of phasing out outdated production capacity on time ； (5) Failing to complete the reduction targets for major pollutants as planned ； (VI) The construction and operation of urban sewage treatment facilities do not meet the relevant energy conservation and emission reduction requirements set by ** and the province ； (7) Severe consequences resulting from illegal or irregular approval processes ； (8) There are other serious environmental violations. Article 20: When the environmental protection department suspends the acceptance of applications or the issuance of approval decisions in accordance with Article 19 of these regulations, it shall notify the relevant local people’s government. The local people in the areas responsible for these issues **should take measures to reduce the total amount of pollutants discharged in those areas or correct any illegal activities. The environmental protection department may legally accept the case or issue an approval decision only after the total amount of pollutants discharged within the designated area meets the total control requirements set by the provincial people’s government, or after any illegal activities have been corrected. Article 21: The Taihu Lake basin implements a system for determining the pollution-bearing capacity of surface water (environmental) functional zones, as well as a system for controlling the total emissions of key water pollutants. The provincial people’s government shall, in accordance with the requirements, take effective measures to reduce and control the total emissions of key water pollutants in the Taihu Lake basin. The people’s governments of the cities with districts in the Taihu Lake basin shall, in accordance with the requirements of the provincial people’s government, break down the total control targets and assign them to the people’s governments of counties (cities, districts). The people’s governments of counties (cities, districts), in accordance with the total control targets set for their respective administrative areas, allocate these targets to the pollution-emitting entities. For areas where the water quality does not meet the requirements of the surface water (environmental) functional zoning, the higher-level environmental protection authorities shall set targets for reducing the total amount of pollutants in those areas within a specified time frame. The local people **should take effective measures to ensure that the reduction targets are met. The provincial environmental protection department regularly publishes a list of cities and counties (cities, districts) that fail to meet the prescribed targets for the total control of key water pollutants. Article 22: The Taihu Lake basin shall implement a system of pollution discharge declaration and registration as well as a pollution discharge permit system in accordance with **provisions. It is prohibited to discharge pollutants into water bodies without an emission permit or in violation of the provisions set out in such a permit. Article 23: The discharge of pollutants into water bodies, whether directly or indirectly, shall not exceed the standards for water pollutant discharge set by ** and local authorities, nor shall it exceed the total emission limits. Article 24 Enterprises, institutions, and individual industrial and commercial households that discharge pollutants directly or indirectly into water bodies shall install sewage outfalls in accordance with the relevant provisions of ** and the province. Polluting entities shall install standardized discharge outlets inside and outside the factory premises that facilitate inspection and sampling, and post signboards indicating the name of the entity as well as the types, concentrations, and quantities of pollutants discharged. For wastewater discharged into centralized urban sewage treatment facilities, sampling ports shall be installed at the plant boundary connection point. For those who discharge water pollutants in an intermittent manner, they must install facilities for temporary storage of such pollutants. The timing of discharge must be reported to the local environmental protection authorities, and discharges must take place at the times specified in that report. Article 25: Urban centralized sewage treatment facilities that receive industrial wastewater must possess the appropriate wastewater treatment capacity and meet environmental protection requirements. The operators of centralized municipal sewage treatment facilities shall ensure the proper operation of such facilities and be responsible for the quality of the treated wastewater. The authorities in charge of centralized urban sewage treatment facilities shall strengthen the supervision and management of the operation of such facilities. Environmental protection authorities shall supervise and inspect the water quality and volume of the effluent from centralized urban sewage treatment facilities. Article 26: Industrial wastewater discharged into centralized urban sewage treatment facilities must undergo pretreatment to meet the ** and locally prescribed discharge standards for water pollutants. Article 27: The sludge generated by various wastewater treatment facilities shall be disposed of safely; it must not be piled up or discarded arbitrarily, nor discharged into water bodies ； Those that are classified as hazardous waste should be disposed of by qualified entities. The collection and storage of sludge shall comply with **relevant regulations and standards. Article 28 Key polluting entities in the Taihu Lake basin, as well as operators of urban sewage treatment facilities, shall install automatic pollution source monitoring devices connected to the local environmental protection department, and ensure their proper operation. Environmental protection agencies should establish a system for publishing data from automatic monitoring of pollution sources. The data collected by automatic pollution source monitoring devices can serve as factual evidence for law enforcement by environmental protection agencies. Article 29: The Taihu Lake basin shall implement a system for the social operation of water pollution control facilities in polluting enterprises. Encourage and guide pollution-emitting entities to entrust environmental protection facility operation units with the appropriate qualifications to carry out the renovation, operation, and management of their water pollution control facilities. Article 30 Enterprises, institutions, and individual industrial and commercial households that discharge pollutants directly into water bodies shall pay pollution discharge fees in accordance with the type and quantity of the pollutants discharged and the standards for levying such fees. For those who discharge water pollutants in excess of the permitted standards, in addition to imposing penalties in accordance with Article 60 of these regulations, the environmental protection authorities shall also levy a pollution discharge fee based on the multiple by which the emissions exceed the standard levels. The pollution fee should be used for pollution control and must not be diverted for other purposes. Article 31: On the basis of scientifically determining the total regional pollutant discharge volume and achieving the reduction targets, the Taihu Lake basin will gradually introduce, through pilot projects, a system for the initial paid allocation and trading of targets for the total discharge of major water pollutants in the region. The specific measures shall be formulated by the provincial environmental protection department in conjunction with relevant provincial departments, and implemented after being approved by the provincial people’s **. Article 32: For the environmental engineering facilities accompanying construction projects in the Taihu Lake basin that may cause significant environmental impacts, an environmental engineering supervision system shall be implemented. Encourage and guide construction units to entrust environmental engineering supervision agencies to supervise the design and construction of their environmental projects. The design and construction units of pollution control facilities shall not violate relevant regulations by designing and constructing discharge outlets and discharge channels for polluting entities that do not meet the requirements specified in the environmental impact assessment documents and approval opinions. Article 33: The environmental protection departments of local people’s governments at or above the county level in the Taihu Lake basin shall, in conjunction with relevant departments, formulate emergency plans for water pollution incidents, which shall be issued after being approved by the people’s government at the corresponding level. Enterprises and institutions in the Taihu Lake basin that may experience water pollution incidents should develop emergency plans for such incidents, make preparations for emergencies, and conduct regular drills. Article 34: After a water pollution accident occurs, the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall initiate and implement the corresponding emergency response plans for water pollution accidents, and the relevant departments and units shall carry out the appropriate emergency response actions in accordance with the responsibilities assigned in those plans. Information on water pollution incidents is released by local people’s governments at the county level and above in accordance with relevant regulations. Article 35: Environmental protection authorities shall make public the information regarding pollution-discharging entities, as well as the locations and quantities of their discharge outlets and the details of their pollution discharge, to facilitate public oversight. The news media, social organizations and other social groups, as well as citizens, can supervise the pollution discharge activities of polluting entities. The environmental protection departments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin regularly publish a list of enterprises that cause serious pollution to the water environment by violating the provisions of these regulations. Chapter 3 Pollution Prevention and Control Article 36 The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake Basin shall take effective measures to accelerate the adjustment of the industrial structure, develop a circular economy, transform the mode of economic development, foster industries that are characterized by high technology, high efficiency, low consumption, and low pollution, promote technological upgrades in enterprises, adopt clean production methods, and swiftly establish an industrial system that is efficient, environmentally friendly, and resource-saving, in order to reduce pollutant emissions. Article 37 The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin shall shut down and phase out those heavily polluting enterprises in the chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, printing and dyeing, papermaking, electroplating, and other sectors that use outdated production processes, cause severe pollution, and are unable to consistently meet environmental standards by discharging pollutants directly or indirectly into water bodies. The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin shall, in accordance with the requirements of the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Plan for the Taihu Lake basin, formulate and implement plans for shutting down or relocating industrial enterprises within the first- and second-class protection areas of the basin, and submit such plans to the provincial people’s government for the record. For enterprises that fail to maintain stable compliance with pollutant emission standards or whose total pollutant emissions exceed the approved limits, as well as those that use toxic and harmful raw materials or emit such substances, mandatory clean production audits are imposed, and the list of these enterprises along with the results of the audits are made public. Article 38: The people’s governments of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin shall organize departments such as those responsible for construction, planning, development and reform, environmental protection, and water resources to formulate plans for the construction of environmental infrastructure such as centralized sewage treatment facilities in their respective administrative regions, in accordance with the plan for the prevention and control of water pollution in the Taihu Lake basin. Priority shall be given to building such environmental infrastructure, so as to ensure the harmless and resource-efficient treatment of domestic sewage, waste feces, and garbage in urban areas. New urban sewage treatment facilities should be equipped with phosphorus and nitrogen removal systems simultaneously ； The existing centralized sewage treatment facilities in towns should be upgraded within a specified time frame to carry out advanced treatment processes such as phosphorus and nitrogen removal, in order to control the emission of pollutants like phosphorus and nitrogen. Article 39: Local people’s governments at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin, as well as the relevant departments, shall strengthen the protection of agricultural environments and the comprehensive improvement of rural environments. They should increase efforts to dredge and improve rivers and ponds, guide agricultural producers in the scientific use of fertilizers, promote the use of efficient, low-toxicity, low-residue biological pesticides, and implement resource-based and harmless treatment of waste such as human and animal excreta and straw, in order to reduce pollution and damage to soil and water bodies. Organic and ecological agriculture should be developed to mitigate agricultural non-point source pollution. The sewage collection networks in towns and cities within the Taihu Lake basin should gradually cover the villages surrounding them ； Larger villages should install domestic wastewater treatment facilities ； Measures should be taken to collect the domestic wastewater from scattered farm households, and appropriate treatment technologies such as purified biogas digesters and artificial wetlands should be promoted and applied for its treatment. Fully establish a mechanism for the collection and treatment of rural waste. Article 40: Provincial departments responsible for environmental protection, water resources, and other related areas shall strengthen the monitoring, early warning, and forecasting of blue-green algae in Taihu Lake ； In the event of any abnormalities, they shall promptly report to the provincial people’s ** authority, and inform the relevant local people’s ** authorities as well as the competent departments. The local people **should promptly organize the removal of cyanobacteria from the waters of Taihu Lake and dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner, in order to reduce the impact of these cyanobacteria on the water quality of Taihu Lake. Article 41: The Taihu Lake basin should strengthen the construction of water conservancy projects, manage these facilities in a rational manner, accelerate the exchange of water in Taihu Lake, carry out ecological dredging of the bottom sediment in a planned way, plant trees and vegetation along the shorelines, increase the environmental capacity of Taihu Lake’s waters, and enhance the self-purification ability of the basin’s water network. The relevant provincial departments should properly protect the river and lake systems in the Taihu Lake basin, scientifically plan and construct projects for diverting wastewater from this basin as well as for transferring water from other rivers, strengthen water resource management and protection, optimize water transfer plans based on the hydrological characteristics and water quality conditions of the Taihu Lake basin, and improve the water quality of Taihu Lake. Local people’s governments at all levels **shall take measures to prevent various pollution sources from affecting the water quality of important waterways, ensuring that such waterways meet the standards set for the respective functional zones of surface water (environmental) in the province. Enterprises that directly affect the water quality of clean-water channels such as the Wangyu River and Xinmeng River should be ordered to suspend operations, close down, or relocate. Article 42: The Taihu Lake basin shall engage in scientific planning and rational development and utilization of aquatic resources. It is necessary to control the scale and scope of aquaculture in Taihu Lake in accordance with relevant national and provincial regulations, protect aquatic organisms and benthic organisms that are beneficial to the water ecosystem, construct water ecosystem projects, and maintain the balance of the water ecosystem. The fisheries sector should strengthen supervision and management of aquaculture, and strictly control the scale and scope of aquaculture in Taihu Lake in accordance with the law. Article 43: Ports, wharves, and locks in the Taihu Lake basin shall be equipped with sewage and waste collection facilities as well as feces storage devices. Ports and wharves that store and transport hazardous materials shall adopt safety measures such as spill prevention, leakage prevention, and seepage prevention. Vessels entering the lake shall be equipped with sewage and waste storage devices, as well as oil collection or oil-water separation devices. Ships transporting toxic and hazardous chemicals are not allowed to enter Taihu Lake. Maritime authorities should strengthen supervision and inspection of ship pollution prevention, investigate and deal with ship pollution violations in accordance with the law, and prevent ships from polluting water bodies. Article 44: Hotels, sanatoriums, tourist resorts, and centralized livestock and poultry farming facilities located within the first-level protection areas of the Taihu Lake basin shall install wastewater and waste treatment facilities to pre-treat the generated wastewater before sending it to urban centralized wastewater treatment systems; such wastewater must not be discharged directly into water bodies. Article 45: The first, second, and third-level protection zones in the Taihu Lake basin prohibit the following activities: (1) the establishment, renovation, or expansion of enterprises and projects involved in chemical pulp production and papermaking, leather processing, brewing, dye manufacturing, printing and dyeing, electroplating, and other activities that emit pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen ； (II) Sale and use of phosphorus-containing cleaning products ； (III) Discharging or dumping oils, acids, alkalis, highly toxic waste residues and liquids, radioactive waste residues and liquids, sewage containing pathogens, industrial waste residues, and other wastes into water bodies ； (IV) Cleaning water bodies of vehicles, ships, containers, etc. that have stored oil or toxic and harmful pollutants ； (5) Using pesticides and other toxic substances to kill aquatic organisms ； (VI) Direct discharge of human and animal excrement into water bodies, and dumping of waste ； (7) Reclaiming land from lakes ； (8) Illegally quarrying mountains, or engaging in activities that damage trees, vegetation, and aquatic organisms ； (IX) Other acts prohibited by laws and regulations. Article 46 The first-level protection areas in the Taihu Lake basin prohibit the following activities: (1) The construction or expansion of projects that discharge pollutants into water bodies, with the exception of centralized urban sewage treatment facilities ； (II) Engaging in net pen or cage farming outside the areas designated for such activities by ** and the province, as well as carrying out fishing operations using shrimp dens, ground nets, mechanical snail extractors, and bottom trawls ； (III) Construction of new centralized livestock and poultry farms ； (IV) New construction and expansion of development projects such as golf courses and water amusement facilities ； (5) Engaging in water-based food and beverage business activities ； (VI) Other activities that may pollute water quality. Except for the sewage outfalls established in accordance with the law at centralized wastewater treatment facilities in towns, the establishment of such outfalls is prohibited within first-class protection areas, and any outfalls that have already been installed must be closed within a specified time frame. Article 47: In the secondary protection areas of the Taihu Lake basin, the following activities are prohibited: (1) The establishment or expansion of enterprises and projects in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, etc ； (II) Add additional sewage outlets ； (III) Expand the scale of aquaculture ； (IV) Other acts restricted by laws and regulations. Article 48: Local people’s governments at all levels in the Taihu Lake basin shall strengthen the protection and restoration of the ecological functions of Taihu Lake. They should carry out activities to convert farmland, fishing areas, and aquaculture sites back into forests, lakes, and wetlands in a planned and step-by-step manner, establish ecological protection zones and ecological barriers, so as to safeguard the ecological security of Taihu Lake. Chapter 4 Protection of Drinking Water Sources Article 49 The Taihu Lake basin shall implement a system for drinking water source protection areas in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations. The people of the cities and counties (cities, districts) in the Taihu Lake basin **should, in accordance with the actual needs for protecting drinking water sources, take engineering measures or implement ecological protection measures such as creating wetlands and water conservation forests, in order to prevent water pollutants from being discharged directly into drinking water sources and to ensure the safety of these sources. Article 50: A system for issuing public announcements on the water quality monitoring results of drinking water source protection areas in the Taihu Lake basin shall be implemented. Environmental protection agencies shall regularly issue public bulletins on the water quality conditions in the drinking water source protection areas to the public. Water resources authorities should regularly release hydrological forecasts for drinking water source protection areas to the public. The Water Environment Status Bulletin and hydrological forecasts are issued at least once a month. If the relevant authorities find that the quality and quantity of water in drinking water sources do not meet the **specified standards, they shall promptly report to the people’s **at the corresponding level, and also notify the water intake units that may be affected. Article 51: Local people’s governments at the county level and above in the Taihu Lake basin shall organize relevant departments to establish and implement a routine inspection system for drinking water sources. Inspection officers shall promptly stop any actions that pollute or may pollute drinking water sources, and report to the environmental protection department ； Upon receiving a report, the environmental protection authorities shall promptly organize and coordinate relevant departments to conduct investigations and take action to eliminate potential safety hazards in drinking water sources. Article 52: In the event that an accident causes or may cause pollution of drinking water sources, the person responsible for the accident shall immediately cease discharging pollutants, take emergency measures to eliminate the pollution, promptly report to the local people’s government or the environmental protection department, and notify the relevant water users. The relevant responsible entities, individuals, departments with regulatory responsibilities, as well as the concerned people** shall report in a timely manner in accordance with** the relevant regulations of the province. Article 53: Local people’s governments at the county level and above in the Taihu Lake basin shall plan for and establish alternative water sources, and formulate emergency response plans for water quality pollution incidents in the drinking water sources of their respective administrative areas. In case of emergencies such as contamination of drinking water sources and threats to water supply security, the local population **should immediately activate emergency plans and take emergency measures to ensure water supply security. If the sources of drinking water are polluted and this may threaten the safety of water supply, the environmental protection authorities shall order the relevant enterprises and institutions to take measures such as reducing or stopping the discharge of water pollutants. Article 54: Existing discharge outlets within the first- and second-class protection zones of drinking water sources shall be ordered by the local people’s government at or above the county level to be removed within a specified time limit ； If it is not demolished by the deadline, it will be forcibly demolished in accordance with the law. Chapter 5 Legal Responsibilities Article 55 If local people’s governments at the county level or above, relevant departments, and their staff commit any of the following acts, the persons in charge who are directly responsible as well as the individuals directly liable shall be given warnings, demerits, or serious demerits by their respective work units, higher-level supervisory authorities, or disciplinary inspection agencies ； In more serious cases, demotion or dismissal shall be imposed ； In serious cases, dismissal shall be imposed ； If a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law: (1) Violating **relevant industrial policy regulations regarding project approvals, thereby causing environmental pollution or ecological damage ； (II) Failing to phase out, within the specified time limit in accordance with **regulations**, outdated production technologies, processes, equipment, or products that cause severe environmental pollution ； (III) Failing to order enterprises and institutions that cause serious environmental pollution to carry out rectification within a specified time limit in accordance with the law, or failing to order them to close down or suspend operations as required ； (IV) Failing to formulate an emergency plan for water pollution incidents in accordance with **regulations, or failing to take measures as required by such a plan ； (5) Failing to conduct an environmental impact assessment when it is required by law, or approving the construction of such a project without approval of the environmental impact assessment document, or handling matters related to land acquisition, construction, registration, business licenses, and production (use) permits for it without proper authorization ； (6) Approving environmental impact assessment documents in violation of the law, resulting in environmental pollution or ecological damage ； (7) Failing to perform supervision and inspection duties, such as failing to investigate and deal with environmental violations promptly upon discovering them or receiving reports of such violations ； (8) In the event of a major environmental pollution accident or ecological damage accident, failing to report as required or to take necessary measures in accordance with the law, thereby causing the accident to escalate or delaying its resolution ； (IX) Other acts in violation of laws and regulations. In areas where the targets set out in the responsibility system for ensuring that water quality meets the standards in surface water (environmental) functional zones, as well as the responsibility system for monitoring water quality at points along the water bodies upstream and downstream of administrative boundaries, have not been achieved, the higher-level people’s government shall issue a reprimand to the relevant people’s government and its principal responsible persons ； Those who cause environmental pollution or the degradation of the functions of surface water (the environment) shall be given administrative sanctions in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph. Article 56: If a construction entity violates the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 16 of these regulations by starting construction without the approval documents required for an environmental impact assessment of the construction project, the environmental protection department with the authority to grant such approvals shall order it to cease construction and impose a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 200,000 yuan ； If the environmental protection facilities that need to be constructed as part of the project have not been built, have not undergone inspection, or have failed such inspection, and the main part of the project is put into production or use, the environmental protection authority with the power to grant approvals shall order that production or use be stopped, and impose a fine of not less than 100,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan. Article 57: Those who, in violation of the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 17 of these Regulations, put construction projects into production or use without going through the acceptance process by the environmental protection department or with failed acceptance results, shall be ordered by the environmental protection department authorized to approve the environmental impact assessment documents for such projects to cease production or use until the acceptance is successful; in addition, a fine of not less than 100,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan shall be imposed. Article 58: If an enterprise or institution violates the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 17 of these Regulations by failing to use the facilities for preventing and controlling water pollutants properly, or by removing or leaving such facilities unused without the approval of the environmental protection department, the environmental protection department shall order it to resume normal use of those facilities or to reinstall them within a specified time limit, and shall impose a fine of not less than 100,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan. Article 59: Those who, in violation of the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 22 of these Regulations, discharge pollutants into water bodies without a pollution discharge permit or in a manner that does not comply with the requirements set out in such permit, shall be ordered by the environmental protection department to cease such discharges and to rectify their illegal activities within a specified time limit; they shall also be fined not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan. Article 60: Those who violate the provisions of Article 23 of these regulations by directly or indirectly discharging pollutants into water bodies in excess of the standards set by ** and local authorities for water pollutant discharge, or by discharging key water pollutants beyond the established total control limits, shall be ordered by the environmental protection department to suspend operations for rectification, and shall be fined not less than 200,000 yuan but not more than 1 million yuan. The period of suspension for rectification shall not exceed one year ； If the remediation tasks are not completed by the end of the suspension period for rectification, the relevant people’s **shall order the closure. Article 61: Those who violate the provisions of Article 24 of these regulations by failing to install sewage outfalls in accordance with the relevant regulations of ** and the province shall be ordered by the environmental protection department to reinstall such outfalls, and shall be fined not less than 100,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan ； In cases of serious violations, orders shall be issued to suspend production for rectification. Those who violate Article 24 of these regulations by discharging pollutants outside the specified time limits shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan by the environmental protection authorities ； In cases of serious violations, orders shall be issued to suspend production for rectification. Article 62: In violation of the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 25 of these Regulations, if urban sewage treatment facilities discharge sewage beyond the prescribed emission standards, in addition to ordering them to correct such illegal activities and imposing fines in accordance with the law, the relevant responsible persons in the authorities in charge of these sewage treatment facilities shall also be held accountable in accordance with the law. For the entities responsible for operating centralized municipal wastewater treatment facilities, it is recommended that **the relevant authorities revoke or suspend their qualifications to operate environmental protection facilities, and deduct the wastewater treatment fees for the periods during which standards were not met. Article 63: Those who violate the provisions of Article 28 of these regulations—namely, key polluting entities and operators of urban sewage treatment facilities that fail to install automatic monitoring devices for pollution sources as required, fail to connect such devices to the environmental protection authorities as stipulated, or have their installed automatic monitoring devices not operating properly—shall be ordered by the environmental protection authorities to make corrections within a specified time limit, and shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan. Article 64: Those who violate the provisions of Article 30 of these regulations by failing to pay the pollution discharge fees as required shall be ordered by the environmental protection department to pay such fees within a specified time limit ； Those who fail to pay by the deadline shall be fined an amount ranging from one to three times the amount of the pollution discharge fee due; with the approval of the people’s ** authorities having the power to grant such approval, they may be ordered to suspend operations. Article 65: In violation of the provisions of Paragraph 2, Article 32 of these Regulations, if the design or construction units of pollution control facilities design or construct discharge outlets and discharge channels that do not meet the requirements specified in the environmental impact assessment documents and approval opinions for the polluting entities, the environmental protection department shall order them to correct such illegal acts and impose a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan. Article 66: In the event of any violation of either Item 1 of Article 45 or Items 1, 3, and 4 of Article 46 of these regulations, the local people’s government at the county level or above shall order the suspension of construction or closure of the facility, and the environmental protection department shall impose penalties in accordance with the law. Article 67: In violation of the second provision of Article 45 of these regulations, if a unit sells or uses phosphorus-containing cleaning products, the administrative department for industry and commerce shall order it to cease such illegal activities and impose a fine of not less than 2,000 yuan but not more than 10,000 yuan. Article 68: Those who violate the provisions of these regulations and cause water pollution incidents shall be fined by the environmental protection department in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph of this article. They shall be ordered to take measures to address the pollution within a specified time frame; otherwise, the environmental protection department may assign a competent entity to carry out the cleanup work, with the relevant costs to be borne by the violator ； The directly responsible supervisors and other persons directly liable shall be given sanctions in accordance with the law ； If a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law. For those causing general or relatively serious water pollution incidents, the fine shall be calculated at 20 percent of the direct losses resulting from the water pollution incident ； In the case of major or extremely serious water pollution incidents, a fine of 30 percent of the direct losses caused by such incidents shall be imposed, and with the approval of the people’s ** authorities having the power to grant such approval, the facility in question shall be ordered to close down. In the event of a fishery pollution incident or an accident caused by a fishery vessel that leads to water pollution, the fisheries authorities shall impose penalties ； In the event of water pollution accidents caused by other vessels, the maritime administration agency shall impose penalties. Article 69: If a pollutant-discharging entity commits any of the following acts, the environmental protection department shall seal off its pollutant discharge outlet: (1) Discharging pollutants into water bodies without a pollutant discharge permit or in violation of the provisions of such permit, and refusing to make corrections ； (II) Resuming production without authorization during the suspension period and discharging pollutants into water bodies ； (III) Those that establish unauthorized sewage outlets to discharge pollutants into water bodies. Article 70: Those who violate the provisions of these regulations and cause pollution hazards to the Taihu Lake shall promptly eliminate such hazards and compensate the entities or individuals that have suffered direct damage for their losses. If significant economic losses or casualties occur, the persons directly responsible and the relevant supervisors shall be held criminally liable in accordance with the law. Article 71: Those who violate other provisions of these regulations shall be subject to penalties imposed in accordance with the law by the environmental protection department or other departments that are authorized to exercise supervision and management duties in accordance with laws and regulations. Chapter 6 Supplementary Provisions Article 72 These Regulations shall come into force as of June 5, 2008.