China's environment watchdog on Monday lifted a ban on new
projects in a northern industrial city and by power company after
they upgraded facilities and met environmental protection
standards.
The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) removed
the restrictions on approving new projects in Tangshan, in the
northern Hebei Province, and by the Datang
International Power Generation Co., Ltd, according to a report on
the SEPA website.
The city government of Tangshan had shown "a resolute attitude"
in eliminating outdated and substandard facilities and halting high
energy-consuming projects in the steel industry, said SEPA vice
director Pan Yue.
"Discharges of sulfur dioxide (in Tangshan) will decrease by
about 28 percent before the end of this year," he said.
The SEPA unveiled 82 projects that seriously violated
environmental protection rules and requirements in January and
ordered corrective action by issuing temporary bans on new
projects.
Pan said Datang International's electricity plant in Tangshan
had actively cooperated with the city government in drafting
environment-friendly production plans after the company failed to
meet environmental protection standards.
Tangshan would reform its industrial structure towards
sustainable development, led by Shougang and Tangshan Steel and
Iron Group, two major Chinese steel producers, said Pan.
Beijing Capital Iron and Steel Group, known as Shougang, earlier
this month started construction of a new plant in Tangshan's
southern area of Caofeidian, a coastal area 220 kilometers east of
Beijing.
The new plant will be operational at the end of next year and
will completely replace Shougang's old facilities in Beijing by
2010 to become the country's largest steel production base.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)