The Ministry of Environmental Protection releases the \"12th Five-Year Plan for Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Heavy Metal Pollution\"

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Wang Kunting, a reporter from China Environment News, reported from Beijing on November 29. The Ministry of Environmental Protection released today the comprehensive assessment results regarding the implementation of the \"12th Five-Year Plan for the Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Heavy Metal Pollution\" (hereinafter referred to as the \"Plan\"). Overall, the implementation of the Plan has achieved good results: the central government has invested over 21 billion yuan to support the treatment of heavy metal pollution, and more than 6.7 million tons of chromium slag that had been stored in 15 provinces for half a century have been completely disposed of. However, it is difficult to resolve the historical problem of heavy metal pollution in the short term, and environmental safety risks posed by enterprises involved in heavy metals remain significant. 　　“During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, with the high attention of **** and the State Council, various regions and departments took key areas, key industries, and key enterprises as focal points to actively promote the implementation of the Plan. The central government invested over 21 billion yuan in support of efforts to address heavy metal pollution. Nationwide, 2.88 million tons of copper were processed less, 3.81 million tons of lead, 0.86 million tons of zinc, 34.71 million standard sheets of leather were processed less, and 96.22 million kilowatt-hours of lead-acid batteries were eliminated. All of the more than 6.7 million tons of chromium slag that had been stored for half a century in 15 provinces was disposed of. 　　By the end of 2015, the total emissions of five key heavy metal pollutants across the country (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and the metalloid arsenic) had decreased by 27.7% compared to 2007. 89.9% of the targets set out in the plan had been achieved; on average, fewer than 3 environmental incidents related to heavy metals occurred each year from 2012 to 2015, a significant drop from the dozen or so incidents that took place annually in 2010 and 2011. 　　Based on the assessment results, among the 14 key provinces focused on the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution, Jiangsu and Zhejiang achieved an excellent rating, while 11 provinces (regions) including Sichuan, Guangdong, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Henan, Hubei, Qinghai, Gansu, Hunan, and Yunnan received a good rating. Inner Mongolia achieved a satisfactory rating. Among the 17 provinces that are not considered key areas, 5 provinces (municipalities) namely Chongqing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Liaoning, and Shandong received an excellent rating; 6 provinces (regions) including Fujian, Ningxia, Shanxi, Anhui, Guizhou, and Hebei received a good rating; while 3 provinces (regions) namely Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Xinjiang received a pass rating ； The three provinces (regions, municipalities) of Beijing, Hainan, and Tibet have achieved excellent results in implementing the tasks outlined in their plans; however, due to the relatively light volume of governance tasks, only the completion of the key tasks is examined, and they do not participate in the national assessment scoring. 　　Although the overall implementation of the Plan has been satisfactory, the rapid expansion of industries involving heavy metals over the past 30 years has resulted in high levels of emissions of heavy metal pollutants. It is difficult to resolve the historical problems related to heavy metal pollution in the short term, and environmental safety risks associated with enterprises involved in heavy metal processing remain significant. 　　“During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the Ministry of Environmental Protection will urge the people’s governments of various provinces (regions and municipalities) to earnestly implement the requirements of the Action Plan for Soil Pollution Prevention and Control, strictly regulate the emissions of key heavy metals from major industries, promote the adoption of clean production technologies in industries involving heavy metals, and continue to strengthen comprehensive management in the 138 key areas designated for heavy metal pollution control. Priority support will be given to those projects related to the treatment of historical heavy metal pollution that already have a solid foundation and have the potential to lead to significant improvements in regional environmental quality. This approach aims to address prominent heavy metal pollution issues, improve environmental quality, prevent environmental risks, and safeguard the health of the public.