Photo Source: Xinhua
On March 11, the Environment Minister Chen Jining "strengthen ecological and environmental protection" related question answered Chinese and foreign journalists ' questions, smog control, "ten", perpendicular to the environmental enforcement, water pollution, institutional restructuring and issues of public concern such as environmental taxes, Chen Jining to answer in detail.
Response to "is one powerful wind in the end violently? "
Press Conference, a reporter asked Chen Jining review this year of treatment of haze, and "ruling with an iron fist and haze" found a effective way.
In response, Chen Jining replied "very well today, I think the first question reporters asked not and air-related issues. We do to a stage we saw late last year, three large, long heavy pollution weather in December of this year, until March, there was a lot of blue sky, there is a feeling of ice two days. What to see? Was also asking the question, is one powerful wind in the end violently? "
Chen Jining pointed out that, pollution governance has three a stage: first a stage is pollution of emissions volume over environment of capacity, this stage pay again big of efforts also only see is small of effect; second a stage is we continued to governance, but we by many natural of border conditions of effect, especially in extreme weather situation Xia, this performance on more highlight; third a stage is we further of governance pollution emissions, no longer by these climate conditions, and hydrological conditions, and border conditions of effect, we on put environment problem solution has. Said Chen Jining, atmospheric environment governance in China at present is in the second stage, into the third phase.
Chen Jining pointed out that, since the implementation of ten from the atmosphere, good days, heavily polluted days with PM2.5 concentrations of these three indicators are positive changes have taken place. Last year one of the first to implement the new ambient air quality standards in 74 cities annual average PM2.5 concentrations of 55 micrograms/m, down 14.1%. United States NASA satellites have observed China's Eastern and central parts of the particulate matter reduces.
"I'm PM2.5 decreased in recent years and reduced at a time all over the world do a comparison. I can frankly tell you that in the process of economic and social development, in the process of urbanization and industrialization have made such progress is rare. "Chen Jining said. He also pointed out that, last year the PRD regional PM2.5 concentrations standards as a whole, this is not easy, and increased confidence in the environmental pollution control.
"Ten" over more than 50 draft has been modified after submitting them for approval to be implemented
On "ten" introduced, Chen Jining noted that "ten" research began in May 2013, for more than two years, Ministry of environmental protection of in-depth research, consultation, revision until now has probably changed more than 50 releases. Department of environmental protection has also sought three times (district, municipal) views and views of the place, and 5 seek the views of relevant departments of the Central Committee and the State Council, the current presentation has matured, the next step after the approval in accordance with the procedures can be implemented.
Foreign media journalists have asked, why is soil pollution reached consensus so difficult? "Ten" why be put off for a year?
Chen Jining points out, is that the problem is very important, very weak second base. It is different from air, water and soil pollution control, still does not have a law-related work is also very scattered. Soil also involves very complex problems in science and technology. And its use is closely related, such as close to the source of drinking water, and is closely related to spatial location, it is very difficult to define. But this work has made substantial progress.
"Soil ten article" prepared in the, environmental Department main of thought is problem oriented, and bottom line thinking, and highlight focus, and limited target, based Yu China current of conditions, based Yu economic development of global, insisted prevention, and protection priority, and risk tube control, and classification don't, and points uses, and points stage to for tube control and governance, we special stressed risk tube control, focus is to rammed "two a based", and highlight "two big focus", and advance "three big task", and strengthened "three big guarantees".
"The two basic" first, we must find out the truth. We have to carry out detailed soil pollution investigation, to find out the family. Second, to establish and perfect the standard system of regulations. "The two key" focus on pollution of agricultural land and land for construction, and to propose clear regulatory requirements. "Three tasks", namely on uncontaminated land what to do, how to protect, is polluting the land, have polluted the land how to improve risk control, risk management and control under the condition of repair. "Three guarantees", we want to solve the issue of science and technology, enhance the support capability of science and technology, and played the leading role of the Government, strengthening the objective assessment.
"Still part of the cadre that environmental protection and development were the opposite of"
On the question of the relationship between environmental protection and economic development, Chen Jining pointed out that environmental problems involving relationship between man and nature, but also involves the question of the relationship between man and man. General Secretary, is a look at the matter from the angle of socialist political economy presented "guanghui is gold and silver," "two mountains", and also proposed the "green development" such a concept, that environment is to people's livelihood, protection of the environment is to protect productivity, improving the environment is to develop the productive forces.
Chen Jining said, "we are still part of the cadre that environmental protection and development were opposed, so today I spoke at the beginning, it is not controversial. There are some people who think that environmental protection is a burden, catch environmental protection will affect GDP, it will affect the development and there cannot be, and want to be, not as problems. "
Chen Jining said, "has never no pollution of industry, only pollution of enterprise", today of technology fast development, production scale to quickly of expansion, only let those pollution of enterprise exit market, to to good of enterprise left out development of space, these enterprise only can focused Yu other of innovation, focused Yu improve products quality, only can avoid in we of development in the appeared bad currency expulsion good currency of phenomenon.
Said Chen Jining, environmental protection and development are not opposites, for China's economy, the new normal, now, is to resolve from the extensive development, from pursuing such a change in quantity to the pursuit of quality. But he said the "quality" is not only the economic quality of the "quality" of the environmental quality of good quality is also good, and it reflects the "big five" development philosophy "quality. Our past economic outshines other backward, there are prominent short Board, this road has come up. So wanted to see us to the stage, to make good use of this hand, and promote the transformation and upgrading of our economy. You see the environment today is short, but it's also the opportunity.
Striving for environmental monitoring year 2018 monitored law enforcement vertical management reform
The "Thirteen-Five" program under provincial environmental protection law enforcement agencies to monitor the monitor vertical management system. Chen Jining pointed out that 18 plenary clearly under provincial environmental agencies monitoring the monitoring of law enforcement vertical management, this is party in the field of ecological environmental protection made a major decision, was a major reform of China's environmental management system, is the basis of reforming and improving environmental governance system, realizing the modernization of national environmental governance system and management skills as a step.
Now what we have is a block-oriented environmental management system, the system faces many difficult problems to overcome. Light such as some local governments to develop environmental protection, development of hard, green soft, serious local protectionism of some local governments, intervening environmental monitoring surveillance and law enforcement, environmental responsibility is not fulfilled, often the responsibility of local governments become the responsibility of the local environmental protection Department, while ignoring the law, lax law enforcement, the phenomenon of impunity exists, it must be reformed.
Chen Jining said that at present there are 17 departments (regions, municipalities) to submit a comprehensive pilot or part of the intention, is rushing to prepare pilot guidance the Department of environmental protection. About a year or so to complete pilot work, and strive to complete it in 2018 before the elections for the Government reform. To destroy North Korea s nuclear capabilities
Chen Jining stressed that this reform is more than just a monitoring surveillance and law enforcement reforms, also involves provincial and redefinition of the relationships between the Department, involving some permission to rearrange so it is a work that affects the whole body.
Implementation of the new environmental protection law has been a year of achievements
Said Chen Jining, judging from a year, new environmental laws has been phased results.
On environmental responsibility in the implementation of the local government, increased governance and public interviews of the Governor of the Department of environmental protection last year, and 33 municipalities of the Department of environmental protection (district) has undertaken a comprehensive supervision and public interviewed 15 municipal governments in charge. Not only do in the Department of the Ministry of environmental protection, we also urged the provincial (district, municipal) for 30% of the municipal environmental protection the Government Inspector, the 31 cities were interviewed, 20 cities (counties) has implemented regional limited batch, 176 questions listed for supervision. These inspectors, interviews, handling, should, effectively promoted the implementation of local government eco-responsibility, also solves a number of prominent environmental issues, regional environmental quality has been improved.
In environmental law enforcement and continuous punishment 715 national day last year, everyone says that the law for environmental protection, long teeth, this is one long piece of teeth, the amount of the fine is 569 million Yuan, seizure seizure 4,191, issued by the environmental protection departments at all levels more than 97,000 copies of decision of administrative penalty, a fine of 4.25 billion yuan, up 34% from 2014. Have checked 1.77 million enterprises last year, deal with all illegal enterprise 191,000, ordered the closure of banned 20,000, shut down 34,000 homes, within a time limit of 89,000.
In addition, Chen Jining pointed out that judging from implementation of the new environmental law in the past year we have also encountered a number of problems, including a significant portion of the local Party Committee Government and sector environmental responsibility is not fulfilled, environmental pressure attenuation layers, more grass-roots unclear responsibility, responsibility is not fulfilled. In addition, the primary responsibility for environmental protection have not been realized, corporate violations are repeated, especially in some places, corporate disclosure of environmental information is not detailed enough. Another problem is that grass-roots law enforcement capacity is too weak, whether staffing as well as on the equipment, some law enforcement agencies don't even have a car, has much to be desired.
Highly appreciates the highest law in the Tengger Desert pollution case ruling
Said Chen Jining, we cooperate with the legislature and the judiciary, promoting public interest litigation, pollution, the polluter is not subject to administrative penalties, and to pay compensation for environmental damage, environmental compensation for victims. Last year, courts at all levels of environmental public interest litigation case 53, 47 civil litigation cases, there are also administrative public interest litigation case 6.
Said Chen Jining, some typical cases last year attracted attention from the media, especially the pollution case of Tengger Desert. You may have noticed, green hair, China filed a public interest litigation against the case eventually, Zhongwei in Ningxia intermediate people's Court ruled inadmissible, on January 28, the highest law court of Final Appeal ruled that Zhongwei intermediate people's Court requires placing "We highly appreciated to the Supreme Court ruling, will actively coordinate with relevant work. "
The contradiction between development and ecological protection in the Yangtze basin acute
Chen Jining pointed out that current development in the Yangtze basin and there is a sharp contradiction between ecological protection, ecological and environmental protection face great challenges, there are three major problems: first, the lack of integrity of the watershed protection, fragmentation, degradation of ecosystems are increasing. Second, the emissions of pollutants, risk, security and safety of drinking water pressure. Third, focusing on the development and protection of the area of conflict is very prominent, focusing on eutrophication in lakes, severe situation of air pollution in some cities.
Said Chen Jining, the Environmental Protection Department is stepping up ecological environment protection of Yangtze River economic zone prepared plan. Main has following several aspects of work: a is strengthening basin of and Manpower, also is to keep live space, and total, and access three article red, first cannot appeared structural and scale sex of problem, first delineation along provinces ecological protection red, determine focus industry, and focus Enterprise pollutants of emissions total ceiling and stage target, according to Shang middle and lower reaches of of ecological environment status proposed difference of of environment access conditions, developed focus regional industry development of negative listing.
In addition is to deepen the reform of institutional mechanisms of environmental protection, and guarantee safe drinking water as the main point, strengthen risk management, and increase the intensity of pollution control and ecological protection.
"The whole plan after plan, take down, effective requirements of General Secretary big development, total catch protection into practice. "Chen Jining said.
New soil-water Division's work after more than a year to form action
Journalists say, in early March this year, the Environmental Protection Department of the newly established Division of air, soil, water, total amount of pollution control and replaces the original Division, said this was in order to solve the environmental protection department within the Kowloon water or standard questions, I do not know what is behind this adjustment into account? What the future will bring to the environment change? In higher areas there may also change in the environmental protection work in unison but mutual constraints?
Said Chen Jining, in February last year, made a reply to the Department of environmental protection, pollution prevention Division and the Division of the total revocation, to establish a division of water, Earth, air, after more than a year of our work, extensive research, listen to opinions from all sides, forming a working programme, this work has been launched in the near future. But this involves a very wide scope, not just the two Division three division problems, involves a process of reconstruction, involves interfacing with other reforms, such as convergence of the EIA system. So, this is still a work in progress.
Chen Jining stressed said, this items reform of main purpose is to strengthened to environment quality improved for environmental work of core, through water, and soil, and gas three a has clear quality requirements of environment media as we of core business division, strengthened we of work target how around atmosphere, and water, and soil environment quality of improved and improved to Combs we of business, strengthened we of work requirements, improve we of work quality. This is the "Thirteen-Five" period, we adapt to the new situation of environmental quality improvement of this a very important reform initiatives.
Actively cooperate with the Ministry of finance to promote the drafting of environmental tax
On the issue of green taxes, said Chen Jining, the NPC is drafting tax laws on environmental protection, the core objective is not to raise taxes, is to establish a better mechanism to encourage enterprises to fewer exhaust pollutants, multi pay more taxes, less rows of underpayment of tax. "This work is in the Division of the Ministry of finance at the State Department to take the lead, as far as I know, work as a whole is now actively promoting, the Environmental Protection Department will cooperate with the Ministry of finance-related work. This work will also hear from all walks of life including the views of the community as soon as possible from the traditional system of environmental charges go on solving environmental problems from a tax perspective. "
At present, China's emissions are still high
On the difficulties of improving air quality, Chen Jining also pointed out that at present, China's emissions are still high. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from 1800 to about 19 million tons, a fundamental improvement to make deep cuts, in addition to cut pollutants become very complex, and we cut 4 contaminants will be solved in the past, are primarily of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. But according to the "Thirteen-Five" program, China has proposed to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and collaborates with reductions in VOCs and nitrogen oxides reduction can be effective if, how collaborative? What percentage? Situation is not the same everywhere, so requires significant upgrading of scientific decision-making.