New rules for heavy polluting industries

Starting on March the first, six heavy polluting industries in the most populous Chinese cities and regions will have to comply with tighter emission rules. The new standards are said to be the strictest so far, and are expected to help ease the increasing heavy pollution. But how soon will the move take effect? Our reporter Ai Yang has more.

Smoke and dust from heavy polluting industries such as cement and thermal power contributes more than 70 percent of China's annual emissions. Starting next month, the country's most heavily polluted 47 cities will apply tighter emission caps to those industries.

Chai Fahe, Vice President of Chinese Research Acad. of Envir. Sciences, said, "The new special emission caps are designed especially for high population density areas including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. Some of the new standards are 30 to 50 percent stricter than the existing ones. Special caps for the most polluted areas is a common practice in countries such as the US and Japan, and China is trying to gradually reach the international standard."

However, it may take longer than expected for the effects to show. Right now only two of the six heavy polluting industries, thermal power and iron and steel, are ready to let their new projects follow the new rules. Existing projects are allowed up to 22 months to adapt. Meanwhile new caps for the petrochemical, cement, non-ferrous metals and chemical industries are still being set.

"Technically speaking, all the industries can meet further caps, but in practice that means enterprises must compromise financially. For example right now only Beijing has fully reached the new standard for thermal power plants, but for many other places they need to either upgrade their facilities, or move their plants to less populous areas where the caps are not so tight. In fact, relocating factories is being encouraged, as it better balances economic developments." Chai said.

The expert says although these industries may shoulder the bill for now, it helps them survive in the long term, as the government has begun putting much stricter environmental measures into effect.