Beijing's PM2.5 average drops to lowest in Q1
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 23, 2019
The Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau announced that the average PM2.5 level in the first quarter of 2019 stood at 52 micrograms per cubic meter, down 7.1% year-on-year. It also marked the lowest level of the season since the city began tracking the data.
The authority also said that, in the first quarter of 2019, the capital had 64 days meeting air quality standards, three more than the same period last year. It also marked three days as "heavily polluted," three fewer than 2018.
From last October to this March, Beijing's average PM2.5 density was 52 micrograms per cubic meter, the lowest among the "2+26" cities (including Beijing, Tianjin and 26 cities in smog-plagued provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Shanxi) that face air quality problems.
In the first quarter, Beijing implemented its "blue sky" action plan targeting diesel vehicles. The city retired 9,627 diesel-powered vehicles, and listed 155,000 heavily polluting vehicles for stricter monitoring. The authority also announced cases of environmental pollution to the public, urging high-emission vehicles used for railroads and at airports to reach the national emission standards. It also mulled over laws and regulations to curb motor vehicle pollution and encourage the use of new energy trucks.
At the same time, efforts were made to continually strengthen the enforcement of environmental laws and an accountability system. To scrap heavily polluting vehicles, the city inspected 474,000 heavy-duty vehicles, among which 43,000 were given fines. The authority also filed 743 cases to crack down on environmental law violations and crimes, imposing a total fine of 37.96 million yuan (US$5.66 million). Inspectors discovered 4,299 violations in the city's construction sites, including cases of dust pollution.
However, the average PM2.5 density in Daxing, Fangshan, and Xicheng districts was higher than the city average.
The city next plans to ramp up efforts to combat pollution and keep its air, water, and soil clean.
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