Following the verdicts in the series of pollution cases at the Tengger Industrial Park, journalists investigate whether industrial park pollution can be completely eradicated

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On September 25, in the Tengger Industrial Park of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (also known as the Tengger Economic and Technological Development Zone), the weather was clear, with a northeast wind of force 3-4. 　　A reporter from the Legal Daily walked along the Yingyan Highway that connects the industrial park to Zhongwei City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The autumn wind brought a slight chill, which was quite pleasant; aside from the occasional pungent smell coming from afar, it was almost impossible to detect any traces of the past activity in this town once home to numerous chemical manufacturing enterprises. 　　“You know, it’s said online that those companies in the industrial park were fined by the court; the highest fine imposed was 4 million yuan. Wow, that’s enough money for me to do business for many years! Wang, who usually uses his phone to access the Internet, pays special attention to information related to the Tengger Industrial Park. 　　On August 23, the People’s Court of Alxa Left Banner, located over 100 kilometers away from the industrial park, imposed fines of varying amounts on three companies—Alxa Left Banner Hengsheng Chemical Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Xinya Chemical Co., Ltd., and Inner Mongolia Boya Chemical Co., Ltd.—for the crime of environmental pollution. Five individuals involved in these cases were also sentenced and fined for the same offense. 　　These 3 companies are located within the Tengger Industrial Park. 　　Behind the increase in output value lies \"heavy smoke.\" The official website of the Tengger Industrial Park contains the following description: The park is located in the southeastern part of Alxa League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; it is adjacent to Qingtongxia City in Ningxia to the east, Zhongwei City in Ningxia to the south, the Tengger Desert to the west, and the Alxa Grassland to the north. The development zone administers two towns, Jiaragalsaihan and Tengger Eeris, with the management committee located in Jiaragalsaihan Town (Tuanjingtan). 　　Tengger Eris Town has even more advantageous geographical location, being 15 kilometers away from the Yingshuiqiao Railway Yard, 22 kilometers from Zhongwei Railway Station in Ningxia, and 17 kilometers from Zhongwei Xiangshan Airport. The upcoming construction of the Changzhong Line expressway, as well as the planned Uliji-Zhongwei railway and the section of the Gangu Line running from Wenduerletu Ulanaobao Station to the Qingtongxia Dam Station, will pass through the development zone, making it an important transportation hub for Alxa League to move eastward and westward, as well as southward and northward. 　　Public information shows that the planned control area of the park is 85 square kilometers, of which 33.7 square kilometers are designated for construction purposes. At the peak of the park’s development, nearly 40 enterprises were introduced there, and the “chemical industry cluster” used to be the park’s calling card for external promotion. 　　In media interviews, the main person in charge of the park described its development plan: during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the park would build on coal chemical and salt chemical industries to develop three key sectors – metallurgy, new building materials, and fine chemicals. At the same time, relying on project construction as a foundation, industrial development as a driving force, infrastructure construction as support, and ecological environment improvement as a guarantee, efforts will be made to turn the park into a green ecological park with investment and sales revenues exceeding 10 billion yuan, a circular economy park, and an important fine chemical manufacturing base in the western region of the autonomous region within three years. “By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period, it is aimed to have two of these enterprises join the ranks of those with annual revenues in the tens of billions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The investment in the park is expected to exceed 30 billion yuan, sales revenue to exceed 30 billion yuan, and tax revenues to exceed 6 billion yuan. 　　In fact, the Tengger Industrial Park was once quite close to achieving its planned goals. In 2012, when the economy was performing well, from January to July, the park achieved an industrial output value of 411.52 million yuan, of which enterprises above a certain scale contributed 323.8 million yuan to this total. 　　In the eyes of the local herders, the Hasula, this appearance of prosperity is synonymous with \"thick smoke and a foul smell.\" His several thousand acres of pasture contain a few natural depressions; in the past, when the livestock were thirsty, they would naturally gather around these depressions to drink water. Now, however, the livestock no longer go there, so it is necessary to spend several thousand yuan on digging deep wells to provide water for them to drink. 　　The severe pollution in the Tengger Industrial Park has drawn the attention of the media and the public. 　　Corporate herd mentality leads to pollution; herders are aware of the pollution but have nowhere to complain ； Companies are aware of the pollution and commit it deliberately ； The park **is aware of the pollution but turns a blind eye.** 　　“Pollution is like an incurable scar for the Tengger Industrial Park; the more pressure is applied, the more pus and blood appear. ”Zhao Erduo (a pseudonym), a veteran media professional, was one of the first journalists to go to the Tengger Industrial Park for reporting. 　　“Apart from the unbearable stench that overwhelms your sense of smell, the colorless foam produced by the wastewater discharged directly into the desert is even more terrifying. ”Zhao Erduo said. 　　Investigators from the Legal Center of the China Environmental Protection Federation sent samples of drinking water as well as industrial wastewater collected locally for testing. The results showed that the level of phenol, a carcinogenic substance, in the drinking water of local herders living about two kilometers away from the Tengger Industrial Park was **410 times higher than the standard. 　　For a time, professional terms such as “pH value,” “phosphates,” and “biochemical oxygen demand” prompted the public to educate themselves on scientific knowledge. Due to the strong sunlight and high evaporation rates in the area, some companies do not send their chemical wastewater to specialized sewage treatment plants; instead, they leave it to evaporate naturally by exposing it to the sun. Moreover, this wastewater treatment process has also received environmental impact assessment approval from the Inner Mongolia Environmental Protection Department. 　　For some other companies, it is affordable for them to purchase and install a wastewater treatment system; but seeing that everyone else discharges waste into the desert, we decided to do the same. ”A staff member from a company based in Tianjin that operates in the park spoke about everyone’s tendency to follow the crowd. 　　Liu Shurun, a botanist, grassland ecologist, and professor of ecology at Inner Mongolia Normal University, said in a media interview that the Tengger region has abundant groundwater resources, and illegal discharge could very likely lead to groundwater pollution. 　　“Once desert groundwater is polluted, restoration is almost impossible. ”He said. 　　From 2010 to 2014, various media outlets published detailed reports on the pollution incidents in the Tengger Industrial Park, and these reports eventually drew significant attention from **** and the State Council. 　　****After the State Council took notice of this matter, Inner Mongolia not only dealt with the pollution site immediately but also activated an accountability mechanism. A deputy director of the Inner Mongolia Environmental Protection Department, the deputy head in charge of Alxa League, the head of Zuoqi County in Alxa League, the deputy head in charge of that county, as well as the directors of environmental protection agencies at both the league and county levels were removed from their positions. A total of 24 people involved were held accountable and subjected to disciplinary actions under party and administrative regulations. 　　On August 23, the judgments in these 3 cases represented another response by the judicial authorities to the pollution incidents in the Tengger Industrial Park. 　　“What’s inevitable cannot be avoided; companies too should reflect deeply and give themselves a chance for redemption. ”The person in charge of one of the companies involved said in an interview with a reporter from the Legal Daily. 　　Can criminal sentences deter companies? The judgment caused a significant stir among the enterprises located in the Tengger Industrial Park; “This time it’s serious.” ”An executive from a company headquartered in Jiangsu said. 　　The vast majority of these enterprises are key targets for local investment attraction. To maximize profits, along with favorable policies regarding land, taxes, electricity, and water, it is common for businesses to flock in one after another. These highly polluting and energy-intensive enterprises originally had no place to operate in the developed regions of the country, but by taking advantage of the GDP-driven ambitions in some underdeveloped areas, they are able to bypass various regulatory checks and revive their operations. 　　“Between the high costs of ecological restoration and the temptation of huge short-term profits, many companies choose the latter. ”Lawyer Liu Xingcheng said in an interview with a reporter from the Legal Daily. 　　What’s even more frightening is that \"some companies have an attitude of making a quick profit and then leaving, without considering at all the consequences that their pollution activities will have on the local ecosystem.\" ”The head of an environmental organization that has been committed to local ecological protection in Alxa League hit the nail on the head. 　　“In terms of legal consequences, judicial authorities must punish those who cause serious environmental damage in accordance with the law ； In terms of social impact, it is also necessary to give those who intend to damage the environment a clear warning: never cross the red line. ”Zhao Liang, president of the People’s Court of Zuoqi County in Alxa League, told a reporter from Legal Daily. 　　“Judging from the verdict, the fines imposed on the companies involved are not high; although the individuals involved were sentenced, those sentences were all suspended, which weakens the deterrent effect of the law. ”An anonymous legal scholar said. 　　Liu Xingcheng suggested that judicial authorities and environmental protection departments should work together to establish a \"blacklist\" system for companies involved in pollution-related cases, and publish this list regularly so that the public and the media can keep an eye on their actions. 　　The strictest environmental protection laws still need support: “Environmental risks are prominent; environmental impact assessments and the requirement of ‘simultaneous implementation’ become mere formalities; pollution control facilities in industrial parks are ineffective; potential environmental disputes are widespread; pollution is often transferred from one place to another; and environmental law enforcement and supervision are inadequate.” ”Ma Yong, who was then head of the Inspection and Litigation Department at the Environmental Law Center of the China Environmental Protection Federation, had written articles describing industrial parks. 　　How can we prevent incidents similar to the pollution in the Tengger Industrial Park from happening again? On April 24 of last year, the eighth session of the 12th National People’s Congress approved the newly revised Environmental Protection Law by a large majority. The new environmental protection law mentions for the first time that in the face of serious environmental violations, the local leaders in charge and the heads of regulatory agencies such as environmental protection departments will \"resign out of responsibility\". 　　“This means that it is not only the companies that violate environmental laws that have to bear the consequences; by incorporating various environmental enforcement measures at the legislative level, the most crucial ‘gate’ through which environmental violations can occur is effectively closed. ”Chang Jiwen, deputy director of the Institute for Resources and Environment Policy at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said. 　　“It turns out that economic development in local areas and environmental protection seem to be in constant conflict. If environmental laws that are enforceable enough do not impose sufficient penalties on those who break the law, nor do they serve as a sufficient warning to local authorities, incidents like the pollution incident at the Tengger Industrial Park will continue to occur. ”A grassroots judge in Inner Mongolia’s court system expressed cautious optimism on this matter. 　　“There is another situation that requires attention: with the introduction of the new environmental protection law, other related laws should also be revised promptly; otherwise, conflicts may arise between the new environmental protection law and other laws, which in turn will hinder the effective resolution of pollution-related issues. ”The official said. Legal Daily – Legal Network