Reply to Proposal No. 3511 of the First Session of the 14th National People's Congress

Your suggestion on strengthening the treatment of new pollutants will be handled by our department in conjunction with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. After careful study, the response is as follows:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council attach great importance to the treatment of new pollutants. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly requires the implementation of new pollutant control. In May 2022, the General Office of the State Council issued the Action Plan for the Control of New Pollutants (referred to as the Action Plan), which comprehensively deployed the work of controlling new pollutants. The National Ecological Environment Protection Conference held in July this year put forward new requirements for the treatment of new pollutants. Our department, together with other departments, will guide various regions to thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and make positive progress in solidly promoting the treatment of new pollutants. Your suggestions on strengthening the treatment of new pollutants have strong guiding and reference significance for us to further improve the treatment of new pollutants. We will carefully study and absorb them in our work. We have reviewed the ongoing work and proposed the next steps based on the suggestions mentioned.

1、 On Strengthening Science Popularization and Propaganda of New Pollutants

In response to the new characteristics of new pollutant control, our department actively carries out multi-channel science popularization and publicity work on new pollutants. Through press conferences, expert symposiums, expert interpretation, specially invited observer interviews, production of Tiktok, official account release, online live broadcast and other ways, science popularization publicity was carried out intensively. Collaborate with Hunan TV to record a hot topic program on "Marine Microplastics". By guiding academic conferences such as the Science and Technology Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences, we aim to focus scientific research on key and difficult points in the treatment of new pollutants.

2、 On Accelerating the Investigation of New Pollutants and Finding the Bottom Line

Our department actively carries out investigations and monitoring of new pollutants. One is to establish a statistical investigation system for chemical substance environmental information. Conduct a survey on the production and use of chemical substances with high hazards and high environmental detection, and gradually grasp the distribution situation. The second is to carry out environmental monitoring of new pollutants. Issuing a pilot work plan for environmental monitoring of new pollutants, guiding and assisting 10 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government) including Hebei and Jiangsu to carry out pilot monitoring of new pollutants.

3、 On Promoting Environmental Risk Prevention and Control of New Pollutants

Our department, together with relevant departments, takes precise pollution control, scientific pollution control, and legal pollution control as the work policy, and gradually improves the environmental risk control throughout the entire process of new pollutants. One is to carry out environmental risk screening and assessment for new pollutants. Focusing on chemical substances with high attention, high yield (usage), high environmental detection rate, and dispersed use, carry out environmental and health risk screening work; Distribute the first batch of chemical substance environmental risk priority assessment plans and carry out environmental risk assessments throughout the entire life cycle. The second is to strengthen the control of environmental risks throughout the entire process. In conjunction with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, the "List of Key Controlled New Pollutants (2023 Edition)" has been issued, implementing full life cycle environmental risk control measures such as prohibition, restriction, and emission restriction on 14 types of new pollutants with high environmental risks; The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has formulated and issued the "Management Measures for Restricting the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" and the "Management Requirements for Harmful Substances and Recyclable Utilization in Automobiles", which restrict the use of key controlled new pollutants such as decabromodiphenyl ether in electrical and electronic products and automotive products. The third is to actively participate in global environmental governance. Strictly implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, phase out 23 types of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as hexabromocyclododecane, stop the use of mercury in seven industries such as caustic soda and polyurethane, and prohibit the production and import and export of nine categories of mercury added products such as batteries and switch relays.

4、 On Strengthening the Construction of Talent Teams for New Pollutants

Our department, together with relevant departments, actively promotes the construction of a professional talent team related to new pollutants. One is to strengthen the training of new pollutant monitoring personnel, organize training courses on new pollutant environmental monitoring technology, provide training for monitoring personnel in various regions, guide local capacity building for new pollutant monitoring, and improve monitoring level. The second is to strengthen scientific and technological research on new pollutants, organize and implement the "Joint Research on Yangtze River Ecological Environment Protection and Restoration (Phase II)" and "Joint Research on Yellow River Basin Ecological Protection and High quality Development (Phase I)", deploy joint scientific and technological research projects such as "Research on New Pollutant Environmental Risk Prevention and Control Technology in the Yangtze River Basin" and "Research on New Pollutant Environmental Risk Prevention and Control in the Yellow River Basin", and carry out research work around the principles, methods, and indicators of new pollutant environmental risk assessment. The third is to accelerate the research and application of clean production technologies for new pollutants. The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, has issued the "14th Five Year Plan for National Clean Production Promotion", which systematically deploys clean production work during the "14th Five Year Plan" period, promotes clean production transformation in industries such as industry, agriculture, and construction, implements harmless substitution of raw and auxiliary materials, reduces the use of toxic and harmful substances, and reduces the content of toxic and harmful substances in products.

5、 On Improving the Construction of Relevant Legal Standards System

Our department, together with relevant departments, actively strengthens the construction of laws and regulations for the treatment of new pollutants, and establishes a sound system for the treatment of new pollutants. One is to study and formulate regulations on environmental risk management of toxic and harmful chemicals, establish and improve systems for environmental information investigation of chemical substances, registration of environmental management of new chemical substances, and environmental management of the import and export of toxic chemicals, providing legal guarantees for the treatment of new pollutants. The second is to establish a new standard system for pollutant control, and issue technical documents such as the Framework Guidelines for Environmental Risk Assessment of Chemical Substances (Trial) and the Technical Guidelines for Environmental and Health Hazard Assessment of Chemical Substances (Trial); Organize research on monitoring methods and standards for new pollutants, and accelerate the revision of monitoring standards for new pollutants. The third is to dynamically develop a control list and issue control lists such as the "Priority Control Chemicals List (First Batch)" and "Priority Control Chemicals List (Second Batch)".

Next, departments such as the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will continue to actively promote the implementation of the Action Plan. One is to adopt various forms of publicity and continue to carry out scientific popularization and publicity work on the treatment of new pollutants. The second is to organize the completion of the first round of chemical substance environmental information investigation, carry out pilot work for monitoring new pollutants, and continuously evaluate the environmental risk status of new pollutants. The third is to dynamically release a list of key controlled new pollutants and their environmental risk control measures such as prohibition, restriction, and emission restriction. The fourth is to strengthen technological support, make the treatment of new pollutants a key area of national basic research and technological innovation, and vigorously focus on tackling key core technologies. The fifth is to accelerate the promotion of legislation for the treatment of new pollutants, improve the construction of relevant standard systems for the treatment of new pollutants, and establish a sound system for the treatment of new pollutants.

Thank you for your concern and support towards ecological environment work.

Ministry of Ecology and Environment

August 30, 2023

Article link: Environmental Protection Online https://www.hbzhan.com/news/detail/173982.html