Chinese update: Ecological safety urged for sustainable development (2 Oct 2013)

Ecological safety urged for sustainable development

Xinhua, October 2, 2013 (China.org.cn)

Legislation, innovation and cooperation are needed to ensure environmental protection and sustainable development in the current environmental crisis, according to analysts.

Climate change, deforestation, maritime pollution, desertification, extreme weather, and human economic activities pose serious threats to human survival, aggravate regional poverty and can result in social instability, said Jiang Mingjun, president of the International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization.

It is necessary to push forward environmental protection legislation to crack down on illegal pollution and integrate "ecological safety" into the long-term development strategy of the country, said Jiang at a recent international forum on ecological safety in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

He suggested a special committee be set up to lead ecological safety efforts and that the public be more active in participating in eco-friendly activities, such as choosing public transit over cars.

As air and water pollution have become top concerns for the public, increased attention has been given to environmental protection worldwide.

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection said last month that it will finish designating the country's ecologically sensitive and vulnerable areas and protected zones before the end of next year in order to promote the sustainable development of the economy and society.

China has strengthened its efforts in protecting bio-diversity and treating pollution in recent years, according to Li Ganjie, vice minister of environmental protection.

To achieve an advanced eco-friendly economy, low-carbon and recycling industries should occupy a large share of total economic activities, said the official.

Recycling industries should be adopted to transform traditional industries, said Wu Jisong, director of the China Recycling Economy Research Center. The green economy should be supported by knowledge and technology, he added.

Enterprises should play a major role in innovation and fulfill their social responsibilities in building an ecologically sound economy, said Zhang Baoxin, a senior official with the Office of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee of China's State Council.

Some companies seek profits while damaging the local environment. Lessons should be drawn from the past model of growth, in which the economy grew at the expense of environmental protection, and strict legal mechanisms should be established to force enterprises to carry out their social responsibilities, according to Zhang.

Trans-regional pollution, such as pollution that travels from the upper reaches of a river to affect residents downstream, has become common in many areas in the wake of economic development.

An eco-compensation mechanism should be promoted to handle the trans-regional pollution problem, said analysts.

Eco-compensation systems should be improved through regulations, laws, the role of the market and participation of the public, said Zhang Huiyua, a researcher with Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.

source: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-10/02/content_30189255.htm

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Chinese Update: China to issue air pollution warnings in Beijing, Tianjin (2 Oct 2013)

China to issue air pollution warnings in Beijing, Tianjin

Xinhua, October 2, 2013 (China.org.cn)

China plans to pilot an air quality warning system in the heavily-polluted cities of Beijing, Tianjin and surrounding areas next month amid the country's increasing efforts to tackle the much-concerned problem.

A man walks on a smog-shrouded road in Beijing on Sept. 29. [Photo/Xinhua]

China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection has jointly released the plan that put the alert system at three levels -- I being the highest and III the lowest.

When the air quality index is set to go beyond 500, a level I warning will issued, and level II and III are for the index to be at between 300 to 500, 200 to 300, respectively, for three consecutive days.

The plan came as China has been under growing pressure to address the causes of air pollution after heavy smog smothered large swathes of the country early this year.

The government aims to cut the density of inhalable particulate matter by at least 10 percent in major cities nationwide by 2017.

PM 2.5, a key indicator of air pollution, should fall by about 25 percent from 2012 levels in Beijing and surrounding provincial areas by 2017, according to a recent government plan.

source: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-10/02/content_30188790.htm

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Chinese Update: 5 cities barred from water-polluting projects (1 Oct 2013)

5 cities barred from water-polluting projects

Xinhua, October 1, 2013 (China.org.cn)

New projects that risk causing water pollution will not be approved in counties and districts of five Chinese cities after they failed to meet pollution control targets, a spokesman with the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Monday.

The districts and counties of cities of Siping, Hefei, Liu'an, and Kunming as well as Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture have failed to meet the standards set in a five-year water pollution control guideline released in 2012.

The decision to call off such projects was made after the ministry evaluated the implementation of two water pollution control guidelines that cover China's major drainage areas including the Yangtze River and Yellow River.

Under the plans, the Chinese government will allocate 500 billion yuan (82 billion U.S. dollars) for prevention and control of water pollution in major drainage areas from 2011 to 2015, up from 300 billion yuan for the previous five-year period.

The water pollution situation remains "grave," the ministry spokesman said, adding that the implementation of some pollution control projects was not efficient enough and there was widespread pollution in rural areas.

Cities' pollution control efforts are hampered by the shortage and poor use of wastewater treatment facilities, he added.

China unveiled the 2011-2015 guideline on fighting water pollution in 2012, setting the goal that 60 percent of the country's major rivers and lakes should be clean enough to be sources of drinking water supply by the end of 2015.

source: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-10/01/content_30183780.htm

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Chinese Updates: Environmental Standard Putting into Effect as of Nov. 1, 2012

Environmental Standard Putting into Effect as of Nov. 1, 2012

2012-11-09

National environmental standard
Technical requirements for environmental protection products —Portable cooking fume detector (HJ2526-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, strengthening management on emission of cooking fumes from the catering service and regulating the design and production of cooking fume detectors.
	The standard specifies the definition of cooking fume detectors, technical requirements, testing methods and rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage.
	It is applicable to instruments testing the level of cooking fume emissions through charge volume test.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection products— Fast analyzer for detergent in gasoline (HJ2525-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, reducing vehicle exhaust and supervising detergent added to gasoline.
	The standard defines the technical requirements, testing methods and rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage of analyzers testing the detergent in car gasoline and ethanol-gasoline through thin layer chromatography.
	The standard applies to fast analyzers for addition of sufficient detergent made up of PIBA and Polyethenoxyamines (molecular weight 600-1500) to car gasoline and ethanol-gasoline.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection products —Single screw pump (HJ2524-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, regulating the production and manufacturing of single screw pumps and upgrading the quality of this product.
	The standard defines the technical requirements, testing methods and rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage of single screw pumps.
	The standard applies to single screw pumps used for transporting water containing solid particles and fiber medium.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection product Electrostatic-fabric Integrated —Dust Collector (HJ2529-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, preventing and controlling air pollution, regulating the design, production, manufacturing, installation and check & acceptance of electrostatic-fabric integrated dust collectors.
	The standard specifies the terminology and definition of electrostatic-fabric integrated dust collectors, its naming, basic requirement, performance requirement, testing methods & rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage.
	The standard applies to technologies that install electric field area and fabric field area within one case which enables integrated dust collectors to combine electrostatic and fabric dust removal technologies.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection products membrane bioreactor (HJ2527-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, regulating the production and manufacturing of membrane bioreactors and improving the quality of the product.
	The standard specifies the definition of membrane bioreactors, its classification and naming, basic requirement, performance requirement, testing methods & rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage.
	The standard applies to membrane bioreactors for treatment or reuse of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater that can be treated biochemically with treatment capacity under 500 m3/d.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection product—Silencers for ventilation (HJ2523-2012 replacing HJ/T 16-1996)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution, improving the quality of silencers for ventilation and guiding R & D and production of the product.
	The standard specifies the technical requirement, testing methods & rules for silencers for ventilation.
	The standard applies to silencers for ventilation and air conditioning engineering.
	Silencers for ventilation (HJ/T 16-1996) will be abolished upon the implementation of this standard.
Guideline of specifications for environmental protection product (HJ2521-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, regulating the development of specifications for environmental protection products and promoting standardization of environmental products. The standard was prepared according to the standards of Directives for Standardization and special requirements of environmental products.
	The standard defines the basic principle, procedures, composing elements, the requirement for formulating composing elements and other requirements for preparing specifications for environmental products.
	The standard applies to the formulation and revision of specifications for environmental products.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection products —Hollow fiber membrane bio-reactor unit (HJ2528-2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, regulating the design and production of hollow fiber membrane bioreactor units and improving the quality of the product.
	The standard specifies the definition of hollow fiber membrane bioreactor units, their classification and naming, technical requirement, testing methods & rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage.
	The standard applies to submersed membrane bio-reactors for treating domestic sewage and industrial sewage that can be treated in biochemical method.
	This is the first issuance of the standard.
Technical requirement for environmental protection products —Ultraviolet disinfection equipment (HJ 2522—2012)	The standard was formulated for the purpose of implementing Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, regulating the production and manufacturing of ultraviolet disinfection equipment and improving the quality of the product.
	The standard specifies the basic requirement, performance requirement, testing methods & rules, marks, packaging, transport and storage of ultraviolet disinfection equipment.
	The standard applies to ultraviolet disinfection equipment used for sterilize drinking water, municipal sewage, reused water, hospital wastewater and raising farm wastewater.
The following standard will be abolished upon the implementation of the above regulations and standards:
Silencers for ventilation (HJ/T 16-1996)

(This English version is for your reference only.In case any discrepancy exists between the Chinese and English context, the Chinese version shall prevail.) For more information: http://english.mep.gov.cn/standards_reports/standards/Catalogue_Standards/201211/t20121109_241777.htm

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S. Korean Updates: MOE takes the lead in national health protection by managing indoor environment of express buses

The Ministry of Environment (MOE) is opening a 「Voluntary Agreement Ceremony」for the improvement of in-bus air quality on September 4, with the Express Bus Lines Association and eight express bus companies to implement pilot project for voluntary air quality management of express buses. The agreement is expected to help protect passengers’ health and provide comfortable service and improve working environment of the drivers by putting effort into establishing voluntary in-bus air quality management system for each express bus company.

Minister of Environment Yoo Young-sook, Chairman of the Express Bus Lines Association and CEOs of the eight express bus companies will be attending the ceremony.

The project is to protect the health of passengers and drivers by ensuring safety against pollutants and maintaining in-bus comfort. It is for the first time to conduct such project for the express buses.

MOE provided Indoor Air Quality Management Guidelines in Public Transportation (‘06.12) to public transportation service companies and manufacturers of public transportation vehicles and have recommended to maintain the in-vehicle air quality at an optimal level.

Past researches on the indoor air qualities of national public transportations showed that the level satisfied the recommended standard in general. However, it was considered that management on CO₂ level of in-use express buses as the level exceeded the standard. To improve CO₂ level of in-use express buses, research project had been conducted with the Korean Society for Indoor Environment and have developed a prototype of handy CO₂ gauge to enable visual checking of in-bus air quality. After the research and the development, MOE provided the 130 prototype gauges to eight express bus companies (‘12.08), based on the number of vehicles, to support establishment of voluntary air quality management system.

During this pilot project, in-bus air quality management data of running vehicle will be automatically sent to the headquarters and made into database. Then the ventilation system will be operated based on the measurement by the real-time CO₂ gauges on the express buses and mange the CO₂ pollution.

Also, survey on passengers’ satisfaction will be conducted and co-organize the manual for management of express bus’ indoor air quality.

MOE is planning to actively solve the daily inconveniences that the citizens feel, through consistent cooperation with the Express Bus Lines Association and express bus companies so that the industry voluntarily protects the health of passengers and manages the indoor environment of buses.

< sensor (on the ceiling)>                                < display (on the driver’s console)>

For more information: http://eng.me.go.kr/board.do?method=view&docSeq=10724&bbsCode=new_news

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