SEPA: After the Storm(1)

From page 4, The Economic Observer issue no. 332, September 10, 2007
By Zhang Chen

Starting in October, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) plans to lift production freezes it unleashed during an environmental dragnet last July. In a statement made on September 3^rd, SEPA said that the policy had hit local governments hard, adding, "those who refused to act [on these issues] before have finally begun to cooperate."

The Baiyin Example

On July 3^rd, SEPA began shutting down polluters in 6 cities, 2 counties, and 5 industrial parks in the drainage areas of the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai and Hai Rivers-- all of which have been plagued by severe pollution. Baiyin City, located in the upper Yellow River in Gansu province, is one such place grappling with SEPA's policy. There, 15 enterprises were shut down for violating environmental regulation. One firm, Yinguang Chemical Industry Group, recently caused public outcry after a sulfuric acid leak at its plant. Since 2005 there have been a total of 17 such leaks.

Afterwards, pollution control became an urgent preoccupation for the leaders of Baiyin. The EO has learned that the city has invested nearly 1 billion yuan in environmental protection projects and already completed renovation milestones in order to be one of the first to comply with SEPA obligations and be allowed to resume operations.

"We have reported the improvements to the [central] SEPA and are waiting for them to withdraw the policy," says one Baiyin SEPA clerk.

According to the clerk, Bayin's environmental woes stem from insufficient funding for protective measures, and poor regional economic development that left concentration in one industry.