China will improve strategic environmental assessment procedures
in key regions and industries after the suspension of a
controversial paraxylene (PX) project in Xiamen, according to the
State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).
SEPA's deputy director Pan Yue said "China will mobilize social
forces to speed up strategic environmental assessment so that
environmental protection can play a bigger role in government
decision-making processes."
An expert committee for environmental assessment was formed in
Beijing on Friday. The committee, composed of 39 experts in
economics, society, environment and resources will carry out
environmental assessments in several key regions and industries,
according to SEPA.
The committee will study the geographic distribution and
development of key industries such as the petrochemical, chemical
and non-ferrous metals sectors in areas like Tianjin's Binhai New
Area, Chengdu and Chongqing economic zones, according to the
SEPA.
The committee will make plan for these areas' future development
with environmental protection taken into consideration, after
analyzing their investment, energy consumption, pollutant
discharges and pollutant treatment since 2000.
"Some local governments are so keen to promote industrialization
and urbanization that they seldom consider factors like environment
and resources while making polices and overall city planning,"
CEPA's deputy director Pan Yue said.
"Some local governments do not attach enough importance to
environmental assessment, and this has led to chaotic industrial
distribution and an irrational industrial structure," he said.
Several major environmental disputes have ensued and we should
learn a lesson from them, he said, referring to the paraxylene (PX)
project in Xiamen.
The city government of Xiamen, a port city in east China's Fujian Province, decided to suspend
construction of the potentially dangerous chemical project amid
fears of pollution on May 30.
The 10.8 billion yuan (about US$1.4 billion) paraxylene (PX)
project by Tenglong Aromatic PX (Xiamen) Co. Ltd was supposed to be
located just 16 kilometers from the city center. Citizens sent a
barrage of protest to city officials about the dangers of the
plant.
On June 7, Pan announced the SEPA would carry out an immediate
environmental assessment of Xiamen city's planning. "SEPA will
invite experts to assess Xiamen's urban planning from the
environmental point of view and make suggestions for Xiamen's
future," Pan wrote on the SEPA website.
SEPA statistics show 90 percent of rivers that thread their way
through Chinese cities are polluted, more than 300 million rural
residents are unable to drink clean water and more than 400 million
urban residents are unable to breathe fresh air. In 2006, one major
environmental incident occurred every two days and nearly 600,000
Chinese people lodged complaints about environmental problems.
(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2007)
