The government has made the securing of drinking water resources
a top priority and plans to significantly raise fines for water
polluters.
The security of drinking water and purification of key rivers
and lakes, together with major pollution and emissions control and
urban waste treatment measures, were highlighted in the country's
11th Five-Year (2006-10) Plan of Environmental Protection, which
was officially released yesterday.
The total investment in environmental protection during the five
years will cost 1.35 percent of GDP during the same period, the
State Council said yesterday.
Investment will focus on treating water and air pollution, solid
waste, nuclear, radioactive and agricultural waste, and
capacity-building, it said.
Market instruments will also be introduced to raise funds for
the big clean up.
The plan follows the principle that industrial polluters will
bear the cost of any clean up, while the authorities will use tax
reforms to discourage waste and pollution.
Price mechanisms that reflect the cost of treating emissions and
waste will also be used.
It is estimated that more than 75 billion yuan ($10.2 billion)
collected from pollution and emission charges under the scheme will
be used to treat waste.
Another draft regulation released yesterday and aimed at
addressing water pollution saw the maximum fines for individuals or
companies that discharge highly toxic pollutants into drinking
water resources raised by five times to 500,000 yuan, the Xinhua
News Agency reported.
The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) also
stated that those who dump industrial residue or urban waste into
drinking water resources, or store solid waste or other pollutants
below the highest water line along the banks or at the banks of
rivers, lakes, canals and reservoirs, face a fine of up to 200,000
yuan, 20 times the current amount.
Restrictions on fines for companies held responsible for water
pollution accidents will also be lifted.
Fines for such businesses will vary from 20 percent to 30
percent of the direct economic loss according to the severity of
the incident, Xinhua reported.
Companies should bear all the costs for containing accidents.
And those found responsible for serious water pollution will be
closed, the SEPA said.
(China Daily November 27, 2007)