Big news! Four departments issue a joint statement: Hazardous chemical projects must not proceed with approval, design, and construction simultaneously”
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According to the Beijing News (reporter: Zhan Shengjie), recently, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the \"Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Safety Risks in Hazardous Chemicals Production and Construction Projects (Trial Version)\” (hereinafter referred to as the \"Guidelines\”). The reporter learned that the Guidelines consist of ten chapters, including General Provisions, Basic Requirements, Risk Prevention and Control for Project Decision-Making Consulting Services, Risk Prevention and Control for the Review of Project Safety Conditions, and Risk Prevention and Control for the Review of Safety Facility Design. It is reported that in recent years, due to lax oversight in the administrative approval process for new hazardous chemical production projects, cases of accidents occurring as a direct or indirect result of this have become increasingly common. As our country enters a critical period of industrial upgrading and high-quality development, some chemical industries are shifting from the eastern coastal areas to the central and western regions. In some of these locations, where the safety infrastructure is weak and the capacity to manage safety risks is insufficient, there is a tendency to undertake high-risk relocation projects without proper consideration. Issues such as illegal approvals, lowered standards, and lax oversight in access controls are widespread, and the problems resulting from this are becoming increasingly apparent. Accidents occur frequently, posing a significant risk in the field of hazardous chemicals.
A relevant official from the Ministry of Emergency Management explained that the Guidelines emphasize the requirements for project approval. In response to the issue in some areas where development takes precedence over safety, with no restrictions imposed on projects related to the production of hazardous chemicals, requirements for project approval are established in terms of industrial planning, policies, local regulations, project investment, process technology, and risk assessment of reactions, thereby guiding local authorities in deciding \"which projects to select and which ones can be implemented.\" Furthermore, addressing issues such as the separate actions taken by various departments during the approval process for hazardous chemical production and construction projects, information silos, and insufficient involvement of chemical industrial parks, the Guidelines recommend providing decision-making consultation services during the project approval process. This includes stages such as preliminary reviews by the parks, municipal-level evaluations, and expert assessments at the provincial level. Departments responsible for development and reform, industry and information technology, ecological environment, natural resources, and emergency management all participate in this process to help local authorities determine who shall be responsible for conducting the reviews. The Guidelines require that all regions strictly enforce safety standards in the approval process for hazardous chemical production and construction projects; approval, design, and construction should not proceed simultaneously. Projects that do not meet safety standards must not be launched or started. It is essential to adhere to these safety thresholds in project approval and to take effective measures to prevent and address major safety risks.
There will be some pain during the gradual process of tightening, but once everyone can accept it, it will be good for everyone. It is not easy to transition from rapid development to high-quality development
Say one thing but do another; registration certificates and pre-evaluations have a limited validity period, and this period is not sufficient to meet these requirements. How to solve this?
Agree with what was said above – a gradual process of tightening
That is, just like in Jiangsu’s chemical parks a couple of years ago, many of them were shut down suddenly, but they managed to adapt to that situation
What should be done with the projects that have just started construction? They are basically all in a three-sided phase – should work be halted while waiting for design work? ? ?
It doesn’t matter if there are connections or not; it’s fine either way. Let’s see how Manager Hua handles establishing connections