The country’s environmental watchdog will suspend reviews of all new industrial projects in Qujing, Southwest China’s Yunnan province, until the city cleans up its toxic chromium slag and remedies polluted soils, a senior official said on Thursday.
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The Ministry of Environmental Protection is also preparing to launch a nationwide campaign to target illegal dumping and stockpiling of hazardous waste before the end of this year, according to Zhang Lijun, deputy minister of environmental protection.
Enterprises involved in the production of chromium and polycrystalline silicon, and in the disposal of sewage sludge and electronic waste will be placed under special scrutiny, he added.
Under Chinese law, all industrial projects must undergo environmental reviews before being approved for construction. The regional ban for Qujing, which will put a brake on its economic expansion, came as a punishment after a local chemical plant illegally dumped more than 5,000 tons of highly toxic waste in June.
The dumping contaminated nearby water sources, caused the deaths of livestock and threatened the safety of drinking water for cities downstream.
“This is not an isolated case. It reflects a widespread oversight on the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste in the country,” said Zhang.
The large amounts of toxic industrial waste are polluting soils and water sources, and posing threats to public health, he said.
The latest national pollution census, in 2007, showed the country produced 45.74 million tons of hazardous waste that year. During the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), the amount is expected to increase at an annual rate of 5 to 7 percent, as the country’s demand for industrial materials will continue to grow, Zhang said.
“However, every year, only about 8 million tons receive proper treatment, less than 20 percent of the total amount,” he said.
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