Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Revised Shenzhen Environmental Regulations go into effect (Google translation)
The second revision of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone’s environmental regulations went into effect on January 1, drawing praise from a number of Chinese media outlets. The revised regulations promulgate several environmental principles for urban development along with more concrete requirements for information disclosure, environmental impact assessment, and environmental performance accountability. (Source: Shenzhen Evening News)
Chinese environmental legislation should focus on rural areas (Google translation)
Despite recent advances in environmental law that have established courts, imposed stricter standards, and disclosed information, rural Chinese citizens have missed out on much of these benefits, since the laws mostly focus on environmental reform in urban areas. This editorial in China Environment News calls for the same measures to be extended to rural areas, where the environmental protection infrastructure is weaker and pollution problems more pronounced. As China advances, the writer notes, its rural areas must not be left behind. (Source: China Environment News)
Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Lead-poisoned children of Qingyuan promised testing and medical treatment (Google translation)
Officials announced to concerned residents that all children in Qingyuan would be given access to blood testing and prompt treatment to address the growing problem of lead poisoning. Qingyuan, located next to an industrial park containing a battery factory, shocked health and environmental officials earlier this year when blood testing of about 50 families revealed 44 children with elevated blood lead levels, including one ten-month old with a level as high as 55 µg/dL, several times above the safety limit for blood lead levels. (Source: Guangzhou Daily)
Ministry of Environmental Protection insists that public participation is improving (Google translation)
At the National Environmental Education Forum held in Guiyang on December 19, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued a written notice sharply countering assertions that public participation in environmental protection had weakened. Noting various significant advancements made in environmental protection in recent years, the notice also mentioned several future initiatives. As part of ongoing efforts to foster public participation, a series of “National Environmental Education Readers” will be published by the MEP-affiliated China Environmental Science Press. (Source: First Financial Daily)
Chinese Environmental GONGO pushes for amendment to give public interest groups standing in environmental litigation (Google translation)
At a meeting last week on environmental rights convened by the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF), a government-organized NGO (GONGO) that serves as an umbrella organization for China’s environmental groups, the conference proposed an amendment to Article 6 of China’s Environmental Protection Law in order to permit public interest groups to serve as plaintiffs in environmental litigation. In making the case for a change to the national law, ACEF pointed to the useful roles played by NGOs in several recent environmental cases, including a landmark case where the ACEF became the first public interest group to serve as plaintiff. (Source: Public Times)
Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Greenpeace calls out 18 large multinational and domestic companies staying silent on pollution information disclosure (English Press Release)
Shell, Samsung, Nestle, Kraft, and more are among the eighteen multinational and domestic enterprises identified by Greenpeace China in its newest report for violating water pollution laws. All eighteen enterprises did not disclose pollution discharge information within the 30-day time limit as specified under China’s national pollution laws yet have suffered few consequences for their noncompliance. (Source: Greenpeace China)
Editorial: Heavy metal contamination incidents require analysis (Google translation)
In the wake of revelations this August and September detailing extensive lead poisoning of children throughout China, the editorial’s authors argue that such a widespread problem should garner deep and thoughtful analysis from the government towards implementing a corrective policy. In particular, the authors identify three main problems at the heart of the recurring incidents – the failure of local officials to properly supervise environmental protection; the lack of public awareness and information regarding such pollution; and the lack of laws that specifically target heavy metal pollution as an environmental health concern. (Source: Resource Net)
MEP vice minister Pan Yue calls for strengthened environmental review system (Google translation)
At the tenth-anniversary celebration of China’s Administrative Reconsideration Law, Pan Yue, vice minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, lauded the legal reforms brought by the administrative law and called for renewed efforts to bolster such capabilities in the environmental sector. Pan Yue urged lawmakers to work towards three goals: strengthen the environmental review and information disclosure system, enhance inter-department cooperation, and improve current environmental legistlation, including the EIA law and the Administrative Reconsideration Law. (Source: China Environmental News)