The General Office of the State Council recently issued the Action Plan for the Treatment of New Pollutants (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") to comprehensively deploy the treatment of new pollutants.
The production and use of toxic and harmful chemicals are the main sources of new pollutants. At present, new pollutants widely concerned at home and abroad mainly include persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, etc. controlled by international conventions. The principle of pollution control according to law is to follow the whole life cycle environmental risk management concept, promote the environmental risk management of new pollutants as a whole, implement investigation and assessment, classified governance, and the whole process environmental risk management and control, and improve the construction level of a beautiful and healthy China.
The Plan specifies that by 2025, the environmental risk screening of chemical substances with high concern and high production (consumption) will be completed, a batch of environmental risk assessment of chemical substances will be completed, and the environmental risk control measures such as prohibition, restriction and emission restriction will be implemented for key controlled new pollutants; The ability to control new pollutants was significantly enhanced.
The Programme has deployed six operational initiatives. First, strengthen the construction of laws, regulations and technical standards system, establish a cross sectoral coordination mechanism for new pollutant control, fully implement the territorial responsibility for new pollutant control, and establish a sound new pollutant control system in accordance with the principle of national overall planning, provincial overall responsibility, and municipal and county implementation. Second, carry out investigation and monitoring, assess the environmental risk of new pollutants, and dynamically release the list of key controlled new pollutants. Third, fully implement the environmental management and registration system for new chemicals, strictly implement the elimination or restriction measures, strengthen the control of new pollutant content in products, and strictly control the source to prevent the generation of new pollutants. Fourth, we will strengthen cleaner production and green manufacturing, standardize the use and management of antibiotic drugs, strengthen the use and management of pesticides, strengthen process control, and reduce the discharge of new pollutants. Fifth, strengthen the coordinated treatment of new pollutants and multiple environmental media, strengthen the collection, utilization and disposal of wastes containing specific new pollutants, deepen end of pipe treatment, and reduce the environmental risk of new pollutants. Sixth, we will increase scientific and technological support, strengthen basic capacity building, and lay a solid foundation for new pollutant treatment.
The Plan points out that the Party should adhere to its overall leadership over the treatment of new pollutants, local people's governments at all levels should strengthen the organization and leadership of the treatment of new pollutants, relevant departments of the State Council should strengthen the division of labor and cooperation, and the implementation of this action plan should be evaluated in 2025; Strengthen supervision and law enforcement, implement the main responsibility of enterprises, and strictly implement the national and local requirements for the treatment of new pollutants; Broaden capital investment channels and guide financial institutions to increase credit support for new pollutant treatment; Strengthen publicity and guidance, and give full play to the role of public opinion in supervision
