Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Professor: One-fifth of China’s arable land affected by heavy metal pollution (Google translation)
At a February Sino-French conference on environmental law, Professor Wang Shuyi discussed current government plans to enact soil pollution laws. The professor also revealed the results of a recent study by the Chinese Academy of Ecological Research. Nearly 20 million hectares of China’s arable land are – about 20% of China’s total – are estimated to be contaminated with heavy metals. (Source: Chengdu Daily)
Guiyang Intermediate Court announces new measures to promote environmental public interest litigation (Google translation)
At a press conference on March 1, court officials announced a new policy designed to bolster public interest litigation in the city’s fledging Environmental Protection Court system. All defendants, upon losing a case, would now be responsible for paying the plaintiff’s legal fees as well. In addition, plaintiffs that lose environmental public interest litigation cases are exempt from paying the filing fee. (Source: Guizhou Daily)
Zhejiang environmental lawsuit settles, leaving residents relieved (Google translation)
Residents of Jiaxing City in Zhejiang Province breathed a sigh of relief last week after learning of the final outcome of a case filed against a furniture factory. The factory, online since 2007, had been illegally discharging into a nearby river and had failed to go through any environmental approval process. After repeated ignored warnings, the local EPB turned over the case to prosecutors, who filed suit in July 2009. Upon finding that the factory could not rectify its pollution, the factor was ordered to dismantle its machinery and move elsewhere. (Source: Investigative Daily)
Hainan Province to create environmental court in 2010 (Google translation)
Hainan officials announced last week that they would establish an environmental protection court in 2010 as part of ongoing efforts to support environmental protection and environmental public interest litigation. The court will be a central part of the island province’s plan to maintain protect its environment and boost its tourism industry. (Source: China Radio Network)
Sichuan Province stabilizes COD and sulfur dioxide emissions (Google translation)
Sichuan environmental officials announced last week that total emissions of Chemical Oxygen Demand and sulfur dioxide had decreased by 1.07% and 0.19% over the same period last year. A halt in the rapid growth of the province’s pollution figures was a positive sign, officials pointed out, that placed the province on track to meets its 11th Five-Year-Plan goal of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by an additional 10,000 tons. (Source: Sichuan News Network)
Comments
Leave a Reply