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June 2, 2016

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Air quality improves but more steps coming

SHANGHAI’S air quality improved over the first four months of the year, and the environment authority is taking further measures to build on that progress, including hitting polluters with stiffer fines, the city environment chief said yesterday.

Over the first four months of the year, the air quality was rated as good or excellent 71.9 percent of the time, a 9.4 percent increase over the same period last year.

Also, the average density of the city’s major air pollutant, tiny particle PM2.5, was 58 micrograms per cubic meter from January to April, a 7.9 percent decrease over last year.

“There has been more rain this year, and the meteorological conditions have also been better,” explained Zhang Quan, director of Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau. Zhang spoke about environmental issues during an interview at a local radio station.

“However, the improvement is very fragile, and the figures have not reached our (desired) standard yet,” he added.

The average density of PM2.5 was 52 micrograms per cubic meter last year. Zhang said the figure is expected to be around 50 this year.

“Our plan is to reduce the yearly average density to 42 by 2020, and then to 35 after that,” said Zhang. “However, there is still a long way to go.”

The World Health Organization’s recommended safe level for PM2.5 is 10 micrograms per cubic meter over a 12-month period, while the national equivalent standard is 35.

Currently, the maximum fine for violating environmental regulations is 200,000 yuan (US$30,340). But the authority is working on a revised regulation that would see violators fined up to 1 million yuan per offense, according to Zhang.

Zhang said the revised version, which must be approved by city lawmakers, could come into effect by the end of the year.

“The fine has been low, so some enterprises have been continuously committing violations,” said Zhang. “After the rise, an enterprise might receive a fine of over 10 million yuan if it committed multiple violations, which can be a deterrent.”

Zhang said the environment authority has been working to improve the city’s air quality in six key areas: resource use, transport, industry, construction, agriculture and social activities.

Shanghai recently completed the renovation of 22 sets of power generators to cut chemical discharges, said Zhang, and about 90,000 heavy polluting vehicles and 30,000 old cars were eliminated last year.

“This year we will continue with the elimination of vehicles produced before 2005 and require vessels in Shanghai’s ports to use cleaner fuel,” said Zhang.

Over 1,400 manufacturers have been ordered to reduce their emissions of volatile organic compounds, which increase the density of PM2.5 and ozone in the air.

Also, some 1,000 construction sites around the city have been equipped with dust detectors, and the authorities will intervene if the pollution they produce reaches an unacceptable level.

“It is very important to be able to identify illegal discharges and other violations,” said Zhang. “We will continue to improve regulation enforcement, and encourage citizens to report violations.”

Zhang said high-tech methods, including infrared detectors and unmanned aerial drones, are now in place to identify violations.

Apart from air quality, the state of the city’s rivers leaves a great deal to be desired, and the overall situation remains “unpleasant,” said Zhang.

Fifty-six percent of the city’s waterways were rated last year as worse than Grade V — the lowest level of water quality according to the national standard. The figure is 47 percent for the first four months of the year.

According to China’s water quality standard, water rated as Grade I, II and III are suitable for drinking, aquaculture and for use in natural reserves. Grade IV water is for industrial use and Grade V is suitable for agriculture and landscape use.

Zhang said the location of the city made its aquatic environment complicated. “The area is full of lakes. The city is located in the Yangtze River Estuary and its water can easily be affected by tidal changes.”

Zhang said polluted water from upstream is one of the causes of Shanghai’s poor water quality, but added: “Of course, we have our own problems, like an inadequate sewage system and illegal discharges.

“In some city center areas, the sewage pipe is connected directly to the rainwater pipes. In suburban districts, illegal discharge from farms and chemical fertilizers have been harming the water environment. The problems are clear and we need to work on them.”

Shanghai listed 24 heavily polluted and smelly rivers around the city as major improvement targets last year. According to Zhang, 10 of them have already been rated as clean.




 

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