On Sept. 1, MEP announced the Guidance for Environmental Impact Assessment of Hazardous Wastes from Construction Projects, which shall enter into effect as of Oct. 1, 2017.
On Sept. 4, MEP declared Level II emergency response to the sixth nuclear test launched by DPRK on Sept. 3. The monitoring results suggested the test did not have any negative effect on China’s environment and citizens.
On Sept. 5, Minister Li Ganjie held the fourth plenary meeting of the Ministry’s Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms within the year, to earnestly study the guiding principles of the important statements of General Secretary Xi Jinping on comprehensively deepening reforms. The meeting heard and adopted in principle the summary and evaluation report of the pilot projects on the reform for a vertical management framework for the environmental monitoring, inspection, and enforcement by environmental protection branches below provincial level, as well as the work programme for establishing a pilot cross-regional environmental protection department in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas. Vice Ministers Huang Runqiu, Zhai Qing, and Zhao Yingmin, and Leader of the Discipline Inspection Group Wu Haiying presented at the meeting. Directors general of the internal departments attended the meeting.
On Sept. 6, Minister Li Ganjie met with Zeev Elkin, Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection, in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.
On Sept. 7, Minister Li Ganjie met with Madame Cristiana Paşca Palmer, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.
Leader of the Discipline Inspection Group Wu Haiying went on an inspection tour to the Department of Air Environment Management and talked with the department leaders and Party branch members on how the Party branch has played a major role in improving Party style and honesty and how the disciplinary committee has overseen the process.
On Sept. 12, the State Council General Office printed out the Programme for the Second National Survey on Pollution Sources.
The commemorative meeting of the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on the Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which was organized by MEP and UNEP, was held in Beijing. Minister Li Ganjie presented at the meeting and read out Premier Li Keqiang’s congratulatory letter. UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim presented and spoke at the meeting.
The fourteenth China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit were held in Nanning Municipality, the capital city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin presented at the opening ceremony and visited the 2017 China-ASEAN Environmental Protection Exhibition.
MEP adopted two national environmental protection standards Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-electroplating industry (HJ 855-2017) and Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-glass industry-flat glass (HJ 856-2017), which shall enter into force as of the date of release.
On Sept. 13, MEP held a training seminar for the tour inspection on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Integrated Air Pollution Control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and Surrounding Areas during 2017-2018 Autumn and Winter. Minister Li Ganjie and Leader of the Discipline Inspection Group Wu Haiying presented and delivered remarks at the seminar. Vice Minister Zhai Qing moderated the seminar. Directors general of relevant internal departments, regional offices, and affiliated institutions as well as representatives of the tour inspectors attended the training.
The 15th “ASEAN+3” Environment Ministers Meeting was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu headed a Chinese delegation to the meeting and delivered remarks.
Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin met with Daniel Calleja Crespo, the Director General of the EU Directorate-General for the Environment, in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.
On Sept. 14, Minister Li Ganjie presided over and spoke at the second meeting of the Leading Group for the Project on the Causes and Key Control Technologies of Heavy Air Pollution & the inception meeting of the project. Relevant leading officials with the MOST, MOA, NHFPC, CRAES, and CMA, the responsible officials with the environmental protection departments of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan, the general expert panel, leaders of task forces, leaders and key members of follow-up research teams attended the meeting.
MEP adopted national environmental protection standard Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-Coking chemical industry (HJ 854-2017), which shall enter into force as of the date of release.
On Sept. 18, Minister Li Ganjie presided over the ministerial executive meeting, which considered and adopted in principle the review results of the first batch of National Demonstration Cities and Counties on Building Ecological Civilization, the proposed mandatory environmental indicators of all the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, and the Classification of Radioactive Wastes. Vice Ministers Huang Runqiu, Zhai Qing, Zhao Yingmin, and Liu Hua, and Leader of the Discipline Inspection Group Wu Haiying presented at the meeting. Directors general of the internal departments attended the meeting.
MEP announced the list of the first batch of National Demonstration Cities and Counties on Building Ecological Civilization.
MEP printed out a circular designating 13 places including Anji County of Zhejiang Province as the first batch of practice and innovation bases for the philosophy that “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets”.
On Sept. 19, Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin met in Beijing with a delegation of US-China Working Group from the U.S. House of Representatives. The two sides exchanged views on the issues of common concern.
MEP adopted the national environmental protection standard Measurement method and technical specification for PEMS test of exhaust pollutants from heavy-duty diesel and gas fueled vehicles (HJ 857-2017), which shall enter into force as of Oct. 1, 2017.
On Sept. 20, MEP released the Technical Policies on Prevention and Control of Eutrophication of Lakes (Reservoirs).
On Sept. 21, the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council released the Opinions on Deepening the Reforms on Environmental Monitoring and Improving the Quality of Environmental Monitoring Data.
MEP organized an on-the-spot meeting on promoting the building of ecological civilization in Anji County of Zhejiang Province. Minister Li Ganjie and Governor of Zhejiang Province Yuan Jiajun presented and delivered remarks at the meeting. On the sidelines of the meeting, Li Ganjie went on an inspection tour under the “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets” and “beautiful countryside” initiatives and a field trip to Jiufeng municipal solid waste incineration and power generation project in Hangzhou. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu presided over the meeting and took part in the inspection tour and field trip. Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province Xiong Jianping presented at the meeting and accompanied Li in the field events. The directors general with the environmental protection departments (bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and relevant internal departments and affiliated institutions of the Ministry attended the meeting.
Between Sept. 23 and 29, the first Conference of Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Vice Minister Zhai Qing headed a delegation to the conference and delivered remarks.
On Sept. 25, MEP and MOA jointly released the Measures for the Environmental Management of Soils in Agricultural Lands (on trial), which shall enter into force as of Nov. 1, 2017.
Between Sept. 25 and 27, the training seminar for the second national survey on pollution sources was held in Beijing. Vice Minister Zhai Qing presented and spoke at the training seminar.
On Sept. 26, the 2017 autumn semester training program organized by MEP Party School targeting director-level officials was held in Beijing. Vice Minister Zhai Qing presented at the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.
On Sept. 28, MEP held a symposium in Beijing on addressing heavy air pollution in some provinces in winter. Minister Li Ganjie presided and delivered remarks at the symposium. The heads of the people’s governments and environmental protection departments of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, and the directors general of relevant internal departments and affiliated institutions of MEP attended the meeting.
On Sept. 29, MEP adopted the national environmental protection standards Technical Specification for Application and Issuance of Pollutant Permit-Pharmacy Industry-Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing (HJ858.1-2017), Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-leather and fur making industry-leather making industry (HJ859.1-2017), Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-farm and sideline food processing industry-sugar manufacturing industry (HJ 860.1-2017), Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-textile and dyeing industry (HJ 861-2017), and Technical Specification for Application and Issuance of Pollutant Permit Pesticide Industry (HJ862-2017), which shall enter into force as of the date of release.
On Sept. 30, Minister Li Ganjie rushed to Beijing Xinfadi Farm Produce Wholesale Market and Liulihe Checkpoint, to check the progress of Beijing in control of the pollution from high-polluting diesel-fueled vehicles.
MEP adopted national environmental protection standards Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-non-ferrous metal metallurgy industry-lead and zinc smelting (HJ 863.1-2017), Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-non-ferrous metal metallurgy industry-aluminum smelting (HJ 863.2-2017), Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-non-ferrous metal metallurgy industry-copper smelting (HJ 863.3-2017), and Technical specification for application and issuance of pollutant permit-Nitrogenous fertilizer industry (HJ 864.1-2017), which shall enter into force as of the date of release.
