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Beijing, May 11 – Report by reporter Qie Jianrong: Although the provincial authorities have taken action to address the issue and the central environmental inspection team has called for corrective measures, some enterprises in the Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park in Jiangsu Province continue to discharge pollutants without proper controls, resulting in serious environmental violations. The Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park in Jiangsu Province is truly a tough nut to crack. The Ministry of Environmental Protection announced today that it is taking action to address the environmental issues in the Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park in Jiangsu Province. “In May 2016, the Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park was placed under special supervision by the Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Protection Department due to issues such as poor environmental quality within the park, frequent environmental violations by enterprises, and delayed development of environmental infrastructure ； In August 2016, the central environmental protection inspection revealed issues such as prominent environmental violations by enterprises in the park and severe pollution of surface water in the areas surrounding it. In November 2016, the central environmental inspection team issued requirements for rectification to the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government. In March 2017, media reports indicated that the pollution situation in the park remained concerning, with issues such as air pollution, the improper disposal of industrial waste, and the illegal handling of used heat transfer oil still being prominent problems. ”These are several facts cited today by the Ministry of Environmental Protection when it announced that it would supervise the environmental issues in the Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park in Jiangsu Province. In April 2017, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Environmental Protection, conducted an on-site inspection of the Lianyungang Chemical Industry Park. The Ministry of Environmental Protection stated that investigations revealed slow progress in the park’s efforts to address and improve environmental issues. “The Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Protection Department required the park to complete the mandated tasks by November 5, 2016, but the improvement efforts in the park progressed slowly, and some of the key issues remain unresolved. ”The Ministry of Environmental Protection revealed that the enterprises in the industrial park emitted noticeable odors, and all 6 chemical companies inspected had problems with the uncontrolled release of odorous gases. In addition, there is illegal disposal of solid waste. The Ministry of Environmental Protection stated that there is open dumping and burning of industrial waste within the park ； Some enterprises manage hazardous waste in an irregular manner, engaging in practices such as open-air dumping and illegal transfer. Joint inspections conducted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Protection Department also revealed significant environmental violations in the park. The Ministry of Environmental Protection revealed that enterprises in the park have issues such as malfunctioning pollution control facilities, failure to separate rainwater from wastewater, and inadequate maintenance of online monitoring systems; in some cases, these enterprises interfere with automatic monitoring equipment. In response to the environmental problems existing in this industrial park, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has instructed the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Environmental Protection to urge the People’s Government of Lianyungang City to carry out necessary rectifications, and to strictly comply with the requirements set forth by the central government regarding environmental inspections as well as the requirements imposed by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Environmental Protection. “The environmental violations identified during inspections are dealt with strictly in accordance with the law, and environmental oversight is further strengthened to ensure that corrective actions are properly implemented ； Make public the results of investigations and rectifications in a timely manner to accept social supervision. ”The Ministry of Environmental Protection requires strengthening the supervision of solid waste in industrial parks and standardizing the disposal of various types of solid waste ； Strengthen the efforts to address chemical odors in the industrial park; conduct inspections and take corrective actions against enterprises within the park that cause odor pollution, in order to resolve this issue as soon as possible. At the same time, the Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Protection Department should meet the rectification requirements by June 5 this year. Editor: Li Jinfeng