Hebei explores a green passage to review and approve environmental protection projects invested by the central government

On 14 December, the Environmental Protection Department of Hebei Province issued the Notice on Increasing Domestic Demand and Managing Environmental Protection of Central Invested Project (the Notice), which requires the environmental protection departments of all cities with districts to actively promote the construction of central government invested projects and optimize economic growth through environmental protection.
Since last year, in response to the global financial crisis, the Central Government and Hebei have stipulated and launched a series of policy measures to increase domestic demand and promote economic growth. They have arranged newly added investment by the Central Government in four batches, mainly supporting projects such as guaranteed house building projects, livelihood projects in rural areas, infrastructure, utilities, ecological and environmental protection and independent innovation. Hebei Province has obtained central government investment of RMB 11.356 billion. Except for investments into railways and rural power grid projects that are directly allocated to central enterprises, Hebei has allocated RMB 9.606 billion of central government funds in 9224 projects. The Notice requires the improvement of environmental protection and energy efficiency in central government invested projects. Environmental protection departments at all levels should implement the decisions made by the state, the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, serve the construction of central government invested projects and make efforts to ensure “accessible approval services, no obstacles in approval procedures, no errors in approval quality, no charges in approval procedures and no complaints from projects seeking approval”.
— To ascertain information in advance. Strengthen the contact with local development and reform commissions and financial departments, so as to obtain information on the utilization of central investments in Hebei Province and offer early services for the projects well.
— Offer expresses services for the review and approval of environmental protection projects. “One notice”, “one stop service” and “package” review and approval will be carried out for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of projects. Actively participate in and provide warm services to those projects which are under EIA or will have EIA. Coordinate and solve related problems, urge clients to speed up project preparations. Especially, they should offer express services and simplify review and approval procedures to ensure project commencement as early as possible.
— Pay return visits for approval. Provide door-to-door services to key projects above the level of provincial industrial park and industrial accumulation area, strengthen guidance, provide technical support on policy and to dispatch dedicated persons to enterprises to carry out “law services” and “assistance to hundreds of enterprises”.
— Complete review and approval within the committed period. As for central government invested projects that comply with the conditions for review and approval, and as for hi-tech, high added value, low energy consumption and low emission projects that can promote technology advancement, optimize inventory and adjust product structures, the EIA approval should be speeded up so that the EIA Report can be reviewed and approved within 15 working days, the EIA table can be approved within 5 working days and the registration table within 2 working days.
— Complete environmental protection inspection of completed projects within the time limit without any delay so as to ensure projects can achieve their intended effects.
Link: Control Pollution Strictly with Innovative Policies
In recent years, in the aim of solving environmental protection problems, Hebei Province has innovated its mechanisms, systems and policies and taken environmental protection work to a higher level. It has made the following breakthroughs:
Speed up local environmental legislation to compensate for the lack of special legislation on pollution and emissions reduction. In May 2009, Hebei first issued and implemented the Regulations of Hebei Province on Reducing Pollutant Discharge, which made innovations and achieved breakthroughs in many aspects, specified the total amount control and the reward and punishment system and highlighted “grueling” and “double punishment”. If any enterprise violates the regulations, its principal will be imposed a penalty that equals 20%-50% of his/her income in the previous year.
It first launched regional restricted approval opinions to solve the problem of irrational economic layout. The Government of Hebei Province launched the Implementing Opinion of Hebei Province on Restricted (Forbidden) Approval on Regional Project (Interim) which specifies the ecological function regions of every city, type of new projects that are forbidden or restricted and the requirements on new project in environmentally sensitive areas. It has strengthened guidance on key industries and projects and strategically optimized allocation of productive force.
Enhance green credit reporting system and intensify restrictions on financial credit. Together with the Shijiazhuang Branch of the People’s Bank of China and Hebei Banking Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Department of Hebei Province released the Measures for Evaluating Effect of Green Credit Policies in Hebei Province (Interim), which initiates mark deductions for credit regulation and highlights the “one-vote-veto” system in the review and approval of green environmental protection projects. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has forwarded this document all over the country to promote its measures.
Established a price system in favor of emissions reduction and strengthened the incentive for enterprises to control pollution. Since July 2008, Hebei has increased the pollution discharge fees for sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand from RMB 0.63 per kg and RMB 0.7 per kg to RMB 1.26 per kg and RMB 1.4 per kg respectively. It has urged enterprises to control pollution with economic leverage. (Source: Hebei Daily)