Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Kunming government creates an 800 thousand prize for reducing pollution incidents, still to be claimed (Google translation)
The city of Kunming in Yunnan province is working toward increasing avenues for public participation in environmental pollution incidents, including a hotline for reporting water pollution grievances. The city government has created an 800 thousand yuan prize to reward efforts to control pollution and provide comprehensive treatment to victims, improve transparency and access to information of pollution incidents; the prize has yet to be claimed. (Source: Yunnan Daily)
Suzhou citizen sues local EPB for failing to abide by information disclosure requirements (Google translation)
Huang Jianxin, a citizen of Zhangjiagang village near Suzhou, filed a lawsuit against the environmental protection bureau for failing to release information about a sewage treatment plant whose pollution damaged his home property, which is located less than 60 meters from the plant. Mr. Huang asserts that the “Regulations on Open Government Information” are in violation; this case is the first citizen suit against the Suzhou government involving environmental open information. (Source: Wuxi Daily)
Weighing the choices for environmental protection and criminal punishment (Google translation)
Founder of the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims, Wang Canfa, writes this opinion piece regarding the issue of criminal punishment in environmental cases. Following the October water pollution case in Yancheng city, Jiangsu province, in which criminal penalties were issued for pollution to the environment, Professor Wang delineates the implications of trying environmental polluters are criminals, and in particular what this case in Yancheng means for future violations of waste discharge standards. (Source: “China’s Economic Report” Magazine)
Newly planned environmental impact assessment provides hope for public participation (Google translation)
Dr. Zhu Xiao of Renmin University of China discusses the history of public participation in environmental issues, from the first American law in 1969 to China’s own recent developments. He suggests the Ministry of Environment quickly amend the “Special Plan for Environmental Impact Report Review Procedures”, the “Planning Environmental Impact Assessment Technical Guide” and other relevant regulations so that they can be more suitable to China’s unique circumstances and allow for public participation in a democratic system. (Source: “China’s Economic Report” Magazine)
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