China News: Beijing gets tough on big polluters (3 April 2014)

Beijing gets tough on big polluters

Beijing is imposing harsh fines against polluting enterprises in an attempt to cut down on the region's notorious smog.

Beijing's environmental watchdog said it levied fines of 7.09 million yuan ($1.14 million) on owners of 266 coal-fired boilers from November to March.

Beijing's environmental watchdog said it levied fines of 7.09 million yuan ($1.14 million) on owners of 266 coal-fired boilers from November to March. That is more than double the figure from the previous season, when regulators fined 127 companies a total of 3.01 million yuan.

Most of the companies were fined for excessive smoke exhaust, lacking or having faulty emission-monitoring facilities and leaving coal dumps uncovered, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said during a news briefing on Tuesday.

Beijing's bureau of city administration and law enforcement also handed down fines on construction sites for excessive emissions, having illegal outdoor barbecues and for burning household waste and straw outdoors on the outskirts of the city. The law enforcement bureau said construction sites and vehicles transporting construction waste were fined 1.1 million yuan over the past three months.

Beijing has outlined stricter and more detailed punishments for excessive emissions, including on construction sites, coal-fired boilers, chemical companies and vehicle owners. The regulation, which went into operation in March, gives more authority to environmental departments and is the first time the capital has established a law to reduce air pollution, said Fang Li, spokesperson and deputy head of the bureau.

Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said stricter punishments against polluting enterprises and the suspension of companies during polluting weather has played a significant role in improving air quality.

The smog that shrouded the capital on Monday dissipated on Tuesday afternoon, with the concentration of PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrograms that is extremely harmful to health, dropping to 53 micrograms per cubic meter in downtown Beijing by 4 pm, according to the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center. It had reached 155 micrograms per cubic meter around noon on Tuesday.

The center predicted the smog will disperse on Wednesday.

Cities in Hebei province also witnessed serious pollution on Tuesday, with the AQI, or air quality index, reaching 262 in Langfang and 220 in Tangshan around noon on Tuesday.

According to the bureau, April will witness crackdowns on cement and mining plants, outdoor barbecues, construction sites and vehicles.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-04/03/content_31988351.htm

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China News:China uses drones to check pollution (8 March 2014)

China uses drones to check pollution

China is using drones to inspect heavily polluted areas for illicit pollution emissions, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection Zhai Qing said on Friday.

Speaking at a panel discussion with political advisors from science circles, Zhai said drones had been dispatched to Beijing and neighboring Shanxi and Hebei provinces, as well as their surrounding areas, for pollution inspection.

The aircraft can cover 70 square kilometers of land in their daily two-hour flights and have already helped the ministry resolve over 200 environment-linked cases, Zhai said.

He said the drones will be equipped with infrared devices to allow them to operate during the night, and that the country is currently considering conducting similar drone inspections in more of its polluted areas.

Fighting pollution has long been on top of the government's agenda, but a spell of smog that enveloped some 15 percent of the country's territory a week ahead of the annual parliamentary session added urgency to the matter. Beijing at one point recorded "beyond index" measurements of particulate matter.

The ministry of environmental protection said last month that China has sent 12 inspection teams to regions worst hit by air pollution to check major polluting industries, such as steel, coal, chemicals, glass, cement and construction.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2014-03/08/content_31714917.htm

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Singapore News: Smoking Ban Extension (14 Jan 2014)

Smoking Ban Extension

In line with the long term plan to prohibit smoking at all public places, NEA extended the smoking prohibition extension to more public places such as common areas of residential buildings, covered walkways and linkways, pedestrian overhead bridges, 5m radius from bus shelters and hospital outdoor compounds from 15 January 2013. To raise awareness of the new smoke-free areas, NEA launched an integrated campaign on TV, cinema, print, radio, outdoor, mobile and online platforms

- See more at: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/events-programmes/campaigns/smoking-ban-extension#sthash.WCDhFvsW.dpuf


Residential Estates:
All common areas including:

• Linkways from bus stops to residential blocks
• Void decks
• Corridors
• Staircases
• Stairwells
• Multi-purpose halls

- See more at: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/events-programmes/campaigns/smoking-ban-extension#sthash.WCDhFvsW.dpuf

Public Spaces

Covered walkways and linkways

All pedestrian bridges

5 metres from the edge of bus stops

Hospital outdoor compounds

- See more at: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/events-programmes/campaigns/smoking-ban-extension#sthash.WCDhFvsW.dpuf

source from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/events-programmes/campaigns/smoking-ban-extension

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Hong Kong News: High pollution to ease (03 Jan 2014)

High pollution to ease

January 03, 2014

General and roadside monitoring stations have recorded a higher than normal pollution level, and it will persist until a cooler replenishment of the northeast monsoon reaches the Guangdong coast overnight, and rain patches develop early next week.

The Environmental Protection Department said, as at 6pm today the Air Quality Health Index at the Sha Tin and Kwai Chung general stations, as well as the three roadside stations, reached 10+, while other stations were at 8 or above.

The corresponding health-risk categories are very high to serious.

With an Air Quality Health Index in the very high range or above, children, the elderly and people with existing heart or respiratory illnesses are advised to avoid physical exertion and outdoor activities, and reduce time outdoors, especially in areas with heavy traffic.

source from: http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/environment/html/2014/01/20140103_194956.shtml

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