China News: Yangqi Lake gears up for 2013 APEC summit (27 Nov 2013)

Yanqi Lake gears up for 2014 APEC summit

By Li Jingrong

China.org.cn, November 27, 2013

An intense air pollution control campaign is underway in Beijing in preparation for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which will be held by Yanqi Lake in the northern outskirts of the capital.

Yanqi Lake is located at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains in Beiing.

One of the most significant measures is to ban "yellow label vehicles" -- heavy polluting vehicles which do not meet national gas emission standards -- from the roads, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau announced on its website on Nov. 25.

The natural environment and the APEC summit have drawn world-wide attention. An air pollution control plan announced by the municipal government will be implemented in several steps from the beginning of next year.

The complete elimination of "yellow label vehicles" is a top priority for the heavily-polluted capital, and this program will be accelerated, taking advantage of the high-profile APEC meeting.

As a first step, cars will be prohibited within the 21-square-km Yanqi Lake ecological area and in the Huairou downtown area. Cars with non-Beijing license plates will be prohibited from entering the downtown area during rush hours. By the end of 2014, some 3,630 old motor vehicles will be eliminated and 197 buses using new energy sources will be in operation.

According to the plan, non-coal carbonization will be realized within the 21-square-km Yanqi ecological area. Seven townships have been told to ban a total of 126 coal-fired boilers and cut coal use by 247,078 tons. Five high energy-consumption enterprises will be closed down, and another 14 heavily polluters will have to stop production. Ten enterprises with emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) face punishment.

By the end of 2014, stone and earth-work projects in the Huairou District are expected to use high-efficient washing turbines and dustproof devices. Transportation vehicles carrying dirt with waste residue must be fully-sealed and installed with the global positioning system (GPS) to track their movements.

Zhao Huimin, director general of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office told a press conference on Oct. 8 that Beijing was making intensified efforts to prepare for the summit. "The measures include population control, motor vehicle volume control, emission control, and closing polluting enterprises."

Yanqi Lake is located at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains, eight kilometers north of Huairou District. The lake, which faces the Great Wall to the north and the North China Plain to the south, is a beautiful scenic green site in the capital.

One international convention center, one boutique hotel and 12 VIP villas are under construction for the APEC Summit in the area, and they are expected to be ready by the end of 2013. The annual APEC event will bring together 21 economic leaders, who will discuss a range of issues with the aim of boosting economic ties.

source from:http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-11/27/content_30722164.htm