Home / Environment / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Raise in penalties for lake polluters
Adjust font size:

Factories along Taihu Lake, Jiangsu Province, now face a maximum fine of 1 million yuan (US$144,000), five times the old one, if they discharge excessive pollutants into the lake.

A new regulation on the prevention and control of water pollution that seeks to raise environmental standards will take effect today.

The regulation was approved by the standing committee of Jiangsu provincial people's congress last year.

Liu Qun, director of the environmental protection department of Wuxi Resin Factory of Bluestar New Chemical Materials Co Ltd, told China Daily yesterday the maximum amount of COD (chemical oxygen demand) discharge has been cut by half.

He said his factory will either have to cut down on production or invest more in wastewater treatment.

"We are forced to further intensify wastewater treatment, and the cost for that has increased by 2 yuan per ton," Liu said. He said the factory had spent more than 10 million yuan (US$1.44 million) since 2007 to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility.

While companies in the industrial sector will feel the pinch under the new environmental standards, attention is also being given to dealing with agricultural waste.

"Surface runoff from agricultural fields poses a big threat to water safety," Jiang Wei, director at the policy department of Jiangsu environmental protection bureau, said.

"Eco-agriculture is what we are after in our future planning," he said.

Under the new regulation cities on the upper and lower reaches of Taihu Lake will have to work together in fighting pollution. "Cities on the upper reaches that discharge excessive pollutants that flow into the lower reaches will be held responsible and will have to pay for it," Jiang said.

Taihu Lake, which supplies drinking water to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai, witnessed a severe blue green algae outbreak in May last year.

(China Daily June 5, 2008)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- Taihu Lake water safety fears remain
- Water quality stable in once algae-choked lake
- Journalists to visit algae-plagued Taihu Lake
- CDB lends US$82 million to improve Taihu water
- US$ 82 mln loan for Taihu water improvement
- Jiangsu vows to clean up Taihu Lake
Most Viewed >>
- 'Olympic Pandas' make debut at Beijing Zoo
- Quake damage to the Wolong Nature Reserve
- No garbage left during torch relay on Mt. Everest
- 8 earthquake pandas ready for display in Beijing
- China reports first major emissions drop
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter II
Shanghai particulate matter II
Guangzhou sulfur dioxide II
Chongqing particulate matter II
Xi'an particulate matter II
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base