Environmental protection in action

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The Ministry of Environmental Protection has stepped up its oversight of the measures taken to address severe air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas. The ministry announced to the media today (December 8) that, in response to the ongoing severe air pollution in this area, it has dispatched two additional inspection teams to Henan, on top of the 10 teams already sent there, to closely monitor the implementation of emergency plans and countermeasures aimed at dealing with such pollution. 　　Based on the inspection results, provinces such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, along with relevant cities, have attached great importance to addressing this severe air pollution situation, taking proactive warning measures and strengthening supervision and inspections. Most cities have activated their emergency plans as required, and initial emergency measures have been implemented. As of 15:00 on the 8th, Beijing had issued a red alert for severe air pollution at 07:00 on the same day. Tianjin has seen its warning level raised to orange at 14:00 on the 8th. A red alert was issued in Dingzhou, Hebei Province at 10 a.m. on the 8th, while a red alert was issued in Xinji at 11 a.m. on the 8th ； Orange alerts issued in Langfang, Xingtai, and Hengshui ； Yellow warnings have been issued in Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Handan, and Tangshan. In Baoding, stricter response measures equivalent to those under the red warning for severe air pollution will be in effect for one month starting from December ； Cangzhou has issued a blue warning. Yellow warnings have been issued in Jinan, Zibo, Tai’an, Dezhou, Liaocheng, Heze, and Dongying in Shandong Province, while a blue warning has been issued in Linyi. All cities in Henan Province have issued orange or yellow warnings. 　　In accordance with the requirements of the \"Notice on Carrying Out Emergency Inspections in Cases of Severe Air Pollution,\" the inspection centers in North China and East China adhered to the principles of focusing on key areas and addressing weak points. For the relevant key counties (cities, districts), they conducted inspections on the implementation of emergency plans, as well as on issues such as emissions from elevated sources, control of scattered coal use, emissions from small enterprises, suspension of construction activities, and VOC emissions. A total of 86 industrial enterprises, over 20 different construction sites, more than 20 locations where road dust was a problem, nearly 20 sites affected by pollution from small boilers using scattered coal, and 19 other sources of pollution such as waste incineration were inspected on-site. The environmental protection agencies of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei have established a coordinated environmental enforcement mechanism, while Shandong Province and Henan Province have also carried out on-site inspections and oversight efforts. 　　Based on the inspections, many regions have implemented emergency measures to reduce emissions, but some enterprises still proceed with illegal activities, emitting pollutants in excess of allowed levels. The main problems include: first, some enterprises are discharging pollutants in violation of laws and regulations. During the previous inspection of Yubei Chemical in Weihui City, Xinxiang, issues were identified and made public; this latest inspection revealed that the smoke from the gas generation furnace’s chimney remained dark in color, and there was a noticeable ammonia smell in the area surrounding the facility. The organic process waste gas from the coal tar processing unit in Jinan Iron and Steel’s coking workshop suffers from severe uncontrolled emissions, with noticeable unpleasant odors. Multiple small boilers are in use at Shengli Woodworking in Liujie Township, Yongqing County, Langfang City; He Shen Luggage Factory, Fangqiang Auto Repair Shop, and Maqing Agricultural Trade Wholesale Market in Gu’an County. Enterprises such as the Machinery Factory of China Railway 18th Bureau Group Third Co., Ltd. in Zhuozhou, Baoding City, and Taida Coal Station also have such boilers. In the Shuangkou Industrial Park in Beichen District, Tianjin, Tianjin Aige Furniture Co., Ltd. and Binhe Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. in Beicang Town have production workshops where smoke is emitted from chimneys, causing severe pollution. The north factory area of Yingma Industry and Trade Company in Daxing District, Beijing, also emits black smoke from its chimneys, resulting in serious pollution. 　　Second, the problem of scattered coal pollution is very severe in many places. In the urban villages, areas at the edge of cities and towns, and rural regions of Baoding and Langfang in Hebei Province, the problem of pollution caused by the burning of coal for heating remains severe. Heating devices at the Dingzhou Mingzhi Plaza construction site, boilers at the Pangcun Town Health Center, tea boilers in the residential buildings of Kaiyuan Science and Technology City, boilers at the Furi Hotel, and tea boilers at the sales office of Tiancheng Dongxing Garden all rely heavily on coal for heating, with no measures taken to prevent or control this pollution, resulting in serious environmental damage. 　　Third, the material yards at the construction sites did not cease operations as required, and road dust pollution was not effectively controlled. In accordance with the requirements for initiating emergency responses at level III or above, construction sites must cease earthwork operations. However, inspections revealed that illegal construction and ongoing work despite orders to stop it were quite common. Dust pollution is severe in the development zone of Zouping County, Binzhou City, Shandong Province; the roads within the zone as well as the vehicles and trees in the surrounding area are covered with dust. In Jinan, there are still individual construction waste transport vehicles that transport and dump waste illegally. Dump trucks are common in Anyang City, Henan Province, and road construction and excavation can still be seen in some areas. 　　Fourth, the emergency response mechanism for severe air pollution has not yet been implemented. Dingzhou City in Hebei Province requires a ban on the passage of heavy vehicles throughout the day or during daylight hours in the main urban area. During on-site inspections, the inspection team saw no law enforcement officers preventing such vehicles from entering, and many heavy trucks continued to travel on the roads in the city. 　　In response to the above issues, our department’s inspection teams have put forward rectification suggestions on site, requiring the relevant local authorities to conduct thorough investigations in accordance with the law and to ensure that the necessary corrections are made. 　　The Ministry of Environmental Protection will continue to monitor the air quality in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas, carry out regular inspections, and urge local authorities to take effective measures to prevent air pollution and deal with periods of severe air pollution.