'No penalty' for polluters in study
The State Council has sought to allay concerns over the mainland's first survey of pollution sources, saying polluters will not be punished for providing genuine data.
Speaking yesterday at a nationwide teleconference organised by the council, Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan said data would not be used to judge whether those surveyed had met quotas for reductions in emissions or waste discharges.
'Nor should the data be used as evidence for administrative punishment or fines for those participating in the survey,' Mr Zeng said.
His assurance came as Beijing began an ambitious three-year campaign to map out the sources of pollution on the mainland, including domestic and factory output.
Authorities are grappling with a deepening environmental crisis compounded by the country's largely unchecked economic development over the past three decades.
Mr Zeng noted the slight drop, over the first nine months of last year, in emissions of sulfur dioxide (linked to acid rain) and chemical oxygen demand - a key indicator for water pollution. An opportunity for improvement had presented itself, he said.
'[But we] should realise with a clear mind that the situation for saving energy and reducing emissions is still critically grave, as there hasn't been a fundamental change in the country's economic development,' he said.
The teleconference, originally set for the fourth quarter of last year, marked the start of the second phase of the ambitious project, to be completed in the first half of next year.
The three-phase survey started in October 2006, with some pilot projects under the leadership of a State Council survey steering group. The results will be published next year.
Authorities started conducting pollution surveys in 1980, but most were random and small, focusing primarily on pollution from industrial sources and township enterprises.
Official statistics, including those on the environment, are often challenged: low-level governments have little incentive to co-operate, and have tended to doctor the data to protect businesses.
