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Contents
- Description of Initiative
- Environmental Law Cooperation with China
- New Developments in Chinese Environmental Law
- Legal Resources
- Resource Documents by Topic
- Related Links
- E-mail Updates
- Disclaimer
Description of Initiative
China has been working with great determination in recent years to develop, implement, and enforce a solid environmental law framework. Chinese officials face critical challenges in effectively implementing the laws, clarifying the roles of their national and provincial governments, and strengthening the operation of their legal system.
EPA Office of General Counsel launched the EPA – China Environmental Law Initiative in September, 2007, to encourage a continuing dialogue between the U.S. and China on environmental law. The goals of the initiative include:
- Sharing EPA's legal experience and expertise to help improve China’s environmental health.
- Sharing information useful to U.S. entities with business or other stakes in how China addresses environmental issues.
- Fostering an ongoing dialogue on environmental law issues with China.
Many of these cooperative activities take place in collaboration with other EPA offices, including EPA Office of International Affairs, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Office of Water, Office of Air and Radiation, and EPA Regional Offices.
We look forward to sharing information on these initiatives here.
Additional Information on international cooperation efforts on Chinese environmental law (including information on OGC's meetings with Chinese environmental officials) is available.
New Developments in Chinese Environmental Law
General
- Environmental Regulations in Effect as of December 1, 2011 (MEP News Release, 12/1/11)
- Environmental Regulations in Effect as of November 1, 2011 (MEP News Release, 11/1/11)
- Heavy metals pollute a tenth of China's farmland (Reuters Health Medical News, 11/7/11)
- U.S. Embassy Air Quality Data Undercut China's Own Assessment, by Barbara Demick (Los Angeles Times, 10/29/11)
- A darker side of Chinese clean-tech (China Dialogue, 10/17/11)
- Environmental Regulation in Effect as of October 1, 2011 (MEP News Release, 10/9/11)
Pollution Control
- China drafts rules on urban drainage, sewage treatment (Xinhua General News Service, 12/2/11)
- Apple Addresses Factory Pollution in China (International Business Times News, 11/16/11)
- China Shuts 90% of Lead-Acid Battery Makers in State Crackdown (Bloomberg, 11/15/11)
- China official says air pollution rules too lax (Reuters, 11/11/11)
- Chromium waste dumpers in Yunnan taken to court (Greenpeace, 11/2/11)
- China Introduces First National Plan on Groundwater Pollution Control (China Ministry of Water Resources, 11/8/11)
- China shut over 7,000 firms for environmental law violation - white paper (China.org, 10/27/11)
- Clearing the haze [measuring PM 2.5] (China Dialogue, 10/19/11)
- Measures on the Administration of Imported Solid Waste (MEP Order no. 12, effective 8/1/11)
Public Participation
- Public fuming over foul air finally gets attention (China.org.cn, 12/13/11)
- Chinese Public Backs Ministry's Air Quality Standards (MEP News Release, 12/8/11)
- China's pollution data shrouded in official fog, By Louise Watt (Salon.com, 12/8/11)
- Smog spawns environmental awareness in China (Xinhua, 12/2/11)
- Debate on Class-Action Plan (Chinadaily.com.cn, 12/1/11)
- Climate of Public Opinion (Chinadaily.com.cn, 11/16/11)
- MEP Seeks Public Opinion on the Second Draft Amendment to the Ongoing Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM 2.5) (MEP News Release, 11/16/11)
- China rethinks air pollution reporting (UPI Energy, 10/4/11)
Climate Change / Energy
- Full Text: China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (Xinhua, 11/21/11)
- Green group accuses China of climate blackmail (The Guardian, 11/9/11)
- Taxing times ahead; China's environment - China promises a cap-and-trade system for pollution (The Economist, 10/29/11)
Sustainability / Pollution Prevention
-
China mulls using "green indices" to evaluate officials (Xinhua News Agency, 7/5/10)
International Cooperation
- EPA Participates in Water Pollutant Permitting Workshop with Chinese Experts (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 5/20/11)
- Renewed Cooperation with China: EPA Administrator Mission to China (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
- Memorandum of Understanding reaffirming EPA and MEP’s historic alliance (PDF, 15pp, 2.3m)
- EPA Discusses Rule of Law in Environmental Sector with Legal Experts in Asia
New Reports and Articles
- The Challenge of Climate Change Adaptation: Learning from National Planning Efforts in Britain, China, and the USA, by Daniel A. Farber (Journal of Environmental Law , vol. 23, November, 2011, pp. 359-)
- Red Dragon Gone Green: China's Approach to Renewable Energy Technologies, Its Legal Implications and Its Impact on U.S. Energy Policy - Note, by Nan Sato (University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology and Policy, Fall 2011, p. 463) [available by subscription]
- Greenhouse gas mitigation efforts of Chinese state oil companies and the impacts on their financial performance,
by Liu, Xiaoyu; Garcia, Percy; Vredenburg, Harrie (Journal of International Business and Economics, vol. 11, no. 4, December 1, 2011, p. 121)
- Air Pollution and Health Studies in China - Policy Implications, by Chen, Bingheng; Kan, Haidong; Chen, Renjie; Jiang, Songhui; Hong, Chuanjie (Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 61 No. 11, November 2011, p. 1292) [available by subscription]
- Continuous emission monitoring systems at power plants in China, Improving SO2 emission treatment, by Xnehua Zhand and Jeremy Schreifels. (Energy Policy, vol. 39, issue 11, November 2011, pp. 7432-7438) [available by subscription]
- Show some enthusiasm, but not too much: carbon capture and storage development prospects in China, by Mark Jaccard andJianjun Tu (Global Environmental Change, vol. 21, issue 2, May 2011, pp 402-412 ) [available by subscription]
Legal Resources
Find links to information on Chinese environmental statutes, regulations, directives, treaties, and international cooperation documents.
Resource Documents By Topic
Find links to articles and reports dealing with Chinese environmental law and policy.
Disclaimer
The information appearing on this Web site is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice to any individual or entity. If you desire legal advice, you may wish to consult with a legal advisor. You should not rely on information from this website for legal advice.
EPA makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this site, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this site. No warranty of any kind is given with respect to the contents of this Web site or its links to other Internet resources.
Reference in this site to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the EPA