Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News

This post is also available in: Chinese (Simplified)

This week’s Chinese news coverage focuses on several critical environmental and public participation issues. The most important is undoubtedly lawyer Yan Yiming’s call on the Beijing government to disclosure full details of its 4 trillion RMB financial stimulus package (see Joan Hu’s post on that here). Chinese news media are also devoting attention to the approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a Paraxylene (PX) complex in Zhangzhou. Protests by local citizens over health concerns in Xiamen in 2007 prevented construction of the plant near that city; it remains to be seen what will happen now that the plant is shifting to Zhangzhou. Lastly, two NGOs made history by becoming the first NGOs ever invited to an EIA technical evaluation meeting in Beijing on a proposed hydroelectric plant. While their impact remains to be seen, Chinese news media have been lauding the event as a small step forward for public participation in the EIA process.

Seven articles after the jump.

Op-ed: Disclosing the whereabouts of 4 trillion RMB lets the people follow its tracks (Google translation)
This op-ed expresses support for Yan Yiming, a Shanghai lawyer who petitioned the central government to disclose its financial spending last week, especially with regards to the proposed 4 trillion RMB stimulus plan. The op-ed agrees that such a plan should involve the public’s participation in the shaping of its investment initiatives; in addition, the author also points out that the possibility of corruption is high while the monitoring system remains rather weak. (Source: Eastern News Network)

Op-ed: Why should buying emissions rights come with privacy rights? (Google translation)
This People’s Daily op-ed examines the Tianjin emissions trading project and warns that serious gaps and ambiguities in Chinese regulations concerning the trading of emissions permits pose serious challenges to the project’s future. In particular, companies that trade pollution permits are refusing to admit that they have engaged in such transactions – perhaps out of fear of exposing their own pollution levels or generating public fear about health concerns in area surrounding a factory. Such backdoor dealings, the author argues, cannot continue under the current system because they violate the public’s right to know and the national Open Information Disclosure measures. (Source: People’s Daily Online)

Chongqing details new environmental monitoring plan (Google translation)
Chongqing municipality has revealed a new five-part plan to improve environmental monitoring and enforcement in the coming year. Besides several initiatives designed to improve coordination for inspections and information gathering, the municipal government also revealed that they had developed individual response plans for 244 possible environmental emergencies that would require rapid reaction. (Source: PRC Government Network)

A Hai hydroelectric station remains controversial after public participation (Google translation)
Environmentalists Ma Jun of the China Environmental Public Participation Research Center and Yang Yong from the Green Homes NGO participated in a conference in Beijing on the pending hydroelectric project slated for Yunnan Province. These two became the first NGO representatives invited to take part in a technical EIA evaluation of a hydropower plant since the EIA law and the interim EIA measures were passed. (Source: First Economics Daily)

Chinese government sponsors team television competition on the Circular Economy Law (Google translation)
A television competition in which teams compete on their knowledge of the new Circular Economy Law has taken off in China. Recently, the South China regional finals concluded, with seven teams competing in a written competition and then a verbal debate that was broadcast on Chinese television. The event is part of the central government’s push to popularize knowledge of the law. Event sponsors include the National Development and Reform Commission, the NPC Central Committee, and MEP. (Source: China Radio News Network)

National Environmental Quality Status report released (Google translation)
China’s National Environmental Monitoring Station has released the 2008 national summary for environmental quality. The report noted that there were only small improvements in air, water, and noise pollution control from 2007. (Source: China Environment News)

Xiamen PX plant prepares to shift site to Zhangzhou (Associated Press article in English)
After 18 months of controversy over the Xiamen PX plant, the plant is officially ready to shift its site to Zhangzhou city in Fujian Province. The environmental impact assessment has already passed MEP approval, and local officials claim that the new location is carefully chosen. (Source: Sichuan Online)