[Haichuan Chemical Industry News] Another wave of severe air pollution is approaching; the Ministry of Environmental Protection urges all regions to take proactive measures in response

Thread Content

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 2 (Reporter Gao Jing) – The Ministry of Environmental Protection reported on the 2nd that from the 3rd to the 6th, a period of stable and calm weather will prevail in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas. Severe air pollution may occur in some cities, with the affected areas including central and southern Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as well as western Shandong. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has dispatched 8 inspection teams to carry out special inspections, focusing on the activation of emergency plans for severe air pollution in various regions. The China National Environmental Monitoring Center predicts that from November 3 to 6, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas will experience stable weather conditions, which is not conducive to the dispersion of air pollutants; as a result, some cities may experience severe air pollution. It is expected that the air quality in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Baoding, Langfang, Cangzhou, Handan, Xingtai, and Hengshui in Hebei Province, as well as Jinan, Zibo, Dezhou, Liaocheng, and Binzhou in Shandong Province, will remain at a severely polluted level for three consecutive days. Severe pollution may occur in some of these cities during certain periods of time. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has taken urgent action to provide air quality forecasts and predictions to the people of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong Province (city), urging these regions to issue warnings for severe air pollution at the appropriate levels in a timely manner, and to implement the measures specified in the emergency plans, such as reducing emissions, limiting production, and shutting down factories. At the same time, local authorities are required to carry out law enforcement inspections and special audits focusing on the thermal power and steel industries, to ensure that measures for reducing production are implemented and that emissions meet regulatory standards. Illegal activities involving excessive emissions must be severely punished. Additionally, the warning levels should be adjusted promptly in light of changes in air quality, in order to minimize the impact of severe air pollution and protect public health. At present, cities in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province such as Langfang, Baoding, Hengshui, Cangzhou, Tangshan, and Shijiazhuang have activated a level 3 response (yellow) for severe air pollution, while Xingtai City in Hebei Province has activated a level 2 response (orange). The inspection team will focus on checking the activation of emergency plans for severe air pollution in various regions, and conduct on-site inspections to verify the implementation of control measures. At the same time, in response to the prominent issue of motor vehicle pollution in Beijing, the Ministry of Environmental Protection established three working groups that, together with the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, carried out special law enforcement inspections focusing on issues such as the falsification of pollution control devices in heavy-duty diesel vehicles, excessive exhaust emissions, and the improper use of urea in diesel vehicles. Starting from the 6th, the region is expected to be affected by another wave of cold air, resulting in favorable conditions for dispersion; the pollution belt will dissipate from the northeast toward the southwest.