Interpretation of the documents of Lake Tai Basin Management Regulations

The Regulations on the Management of Lake Tai Basin will come into force on November 1, 2011, which is the first time the State Council has formulated the Regulations. What are the main considerations of the State Council in formulating the Lake Tai Basin Management Regulations? What are the main systems established by the Regulations? The reporter interviewed the person in charge of the State Council Legislative Affairs Office.

Dismantle, close the sewage outfalls and garbage dumps in the protected area

Q: Drinking water safety is closely related to the people's lives, the "Regulations" on what provisions?

A: The Regulations will put drinking water safety in a prominent position:

One is to strengthen the protection of drinking water sources, the local people's government is required to rationally determine the water source, delineate the protected area, the establishment of the protected area daily inspection, monitoring system, demolition, closure of sewage outfalls in the protected area and garbage dumps.

The second is the establishment of an emergency security system for water supply, requiring local people's governments to organize the renovation of unqualified water supply facilities, build emergency back-up water sources capable of guaranteeing normal water supply for seven days, and push forward the construction of joint water supply projects across administrative regions.

Thirdly, it regulates the response to water supply safety accidents, requiring local people's governments to organize real-time monitoring of the water quality of drinking water sources, water supply facilities, and water points for residents, increase the number of monitoring times and monitoring points during special times such as cyanobacteria outbreaks, and take immediate preventive and control measures when water quality abnormalities are detected, as well as activate the emergency response plan according to the law to prioritize the safeguarding of drinking water for the lives of residents.

First to meet the residents living water to maintain a reasonable level of Lake Taihu

Q: In the protection of water resources, what provisions of the Regulations?

A: In the institutional framework of the water law, the Regulations for the actual Lake Tai Basin, in the following aspects of the specific provisions:

One is to clarify the principle of water resources scheduling, emphasizing that water resources scheduling in the Lake Tai Basin should follow the principle of unified implementation, hierarchical responsibility, the first to meet the residents of the domestic water needs, to maintain a reasonable level of the Lake Tai Basin. On this basis, the "Regulations" on Lake Taihu, Taipu River, the new Meng River, Wang Yu River and other key waters of the total water withdrawal control, water project scheduling has been standardized.

The second is to strengthen the monitoring and governance of water function zones, clear in the Taihu Lake basin to engage in development and utilization activities in line with the protection of water function zones, the main river control cross section into the Taihu Lake did not meet the water quality objectives of water function zones, without affecting the safety of the flood control under the premise of the lake should be closed to its entrance and organization of governance.

Thirdly, it is to improve the system of water conservation, dredging and groundwater protection, encourage the reuse of recycled water, improve the efficiency of water use, require local people's governments to regularly organize environmentally friendly siltation and dredging, and prohibit unauthorized exploitation of pressurized groundwater.

Establishment of total discharge control system in the basin

Q: Water pollution prevention and control is an important task facing the Taihu Lake Basin, what are the institutional innovations in the Regulations?

A: In accordance with the guiding ideology of adjusting structure and promoting transformation, the Regulations summarize the practical experience on the basis of the prevention and control of water pollution made some new provisions:

One is the establishment of the total amount of sewage control system in the basin. At the same time, the "Regulations" clearly prohibited in the Taihu Lake basin set up does not meet the national industrial policy and comprehensive management of the water environment requirements of paper, leather, alcohol, starch, metallurgy, brewing, printing and dyeing, electroplating and other water pollutants discharged from the production projects; existing production projects can not be realized to meet the discharge standards, should be closed according to law.

The second is the implementation of special protection of key areas. The Regulations draw on the experience of local legislation, in Lake Taihu, Dianshan Lake, Taipu River, Xinmeng River, Wangyu River and other major rivers into Lake Taihu within the shoreline, as well as the shoreline perimeter, on both sides of the delineation of the protection of the area, prohibit the construction of new, expansion of chemical and pharmaceutical production projects and golf courses, prohibit the installation of highly toxic substances, hazardous chemicals, storage, transportation facilities, as well as waste recycling yards, garbage dumps, water catering facilities, prohibit the construction of new, expansion of centralized wastewater treatment facilities and facilities. New construction and expansion of sewage centralized treatment facilities outfalls other than sewage outfalls.

Third, to strengthen the collection and treatment of urban and rural sewage. Regulations clearly put forward, within five years, Lake Tai Basin local people's governments at or above the county level in the towns and key towns of domestic sewage should be fully integrated into the public **** sewage network and centralized sewage treatment facilities; local people's governments should be equipped with sewage and garbage collection facilities for rural settlements, and centralized treatment of sewage and garbage collection. Fourthly, water pollution prevention and control measures for ships have been strengthened, and ships transporting highly toxic substances and dangerous chemicals are prohibited from entering Lake Taihu, and corresponding water pollution prevention and control measures have been stipulated for the planting and breeding industries.

Establishment of inter-regional eco-efficiency compensation mechanism

Q: In order to ensure the implementation of these systems, what measures are stipulated in the Regulations?

A: In terms of safeguard mechanisms and supervision measures, the provisions of the Regulations can be summarized as "industrial policy guidance, economic leverage regulation, administrative supervision and constraints":

One is to give full play to the guiding role of industrial policy. Regulations clearly require the local people's government to adjust the economic structure, optimize the industrial layout, strict restrictions on high water consumption, highly polluting construction projects, reasonable construction of ecological protection forests, strengthen the protection of wetlands and aquatic biological resources, and promote ecological restoration of the watershed.

The second is the reasonable embodiment of the regulatory function of economic leverage. The Regulations establish an inter-regional ecological benefit compensation mechanism, making it clear that if the upstream area fails to complete the plan to reduce and control the total amount of key water pollutants discharged, or if the water quality of the cross section at the boundary of the administrative area fails to meet the water quality target of the stage, the downstream area should be compensated; conversely, the downstream area should be compensated by the upstream area. At the same time, enterprises that reduce emissions and farmers who change their professions shall be supported by the government through finance, credit, granting subsidies, training and inclusion in the social security system.

Third, it comprehensively strengthens the binding mechanism of administrative supervision. Regulations established a comprehensive target responsibility assessment system, the implementation of water resources protection and water pollution prevention and control of the target responsibility for the annual assessment of each level; for failure to complete the total emission reduction and control plan, failure to timely dismantle, close the illegal facilities, as well as illegal approval of new construction, expansion of polluting projects, according to the law to suspend the construction project review and environmental assessment, water intake permits and outfall set up to review the formalities. Of course, for various types of violations, the Regulations also provide for appropriate penalties.

Answer

China's first comprehensive administrative regulations of the basin, "Taihu Lake Basin Management Regulations" came into force on November 1, flood control and drought relief in the Taihu Lake basin, water resources allocation, water pollution prevention and control, and drinking water safety and other issues will have a law to follow. In April 2007, Lake Tai Basin cyanobacteria crazy growth led to Wuxi urban tap water odor, the formation of water supply crisis. Zhou Ying, vice minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, said the water problems of Taihu Lake are systematic, comprehensive and characteristic of the Taihu Lake basin, so there is an urgent need for specialized regulations.

Zhou Ying: the contradiction of more people and less water gradually appeared, serious water pollution, water environment deterioration, unsafe drinking water is increasingly prominent. Taihu Lake basin flood control and scheduling difficulties, the increasing number of development projects around Lake Taihu, the circle, the lake enclosure of land has not been effectively managed.

According to Gao Fengtao, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, the Lake Tai Basin Management Regulations mainly focus on five aspects of the institutional arrangements.

Gao Fengtao: First, the residents of Lake Tai Basin can have water to drink and drink good water. The second is to make the rational allocation of water resources in the Lake Tai Basin, scientific protection. Thirdly, the water environment in the Lake Tai Basin can be changed from turbid to clear, and from clear to beautiful. Fourth, so that the Lake Tai watershed area is not eroded, no longer shrinking. Fifth, so that the Lake Tai Basin governance measures are guaranteed and supervised.

According to the Regulations, ecological protection forests should be built within 500 meters along the shores of Lake Taihu, within 1,500 meters of drinking water sources and within 200 meters along major rivers, while sewage from cities and towns above the county level should be incorporated into the public **** sewage network within five years. Zhao Hualin, director of the Pollution Prevention and Control Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, believes the regulation is meticulous in its requirements and facilitates law enforcement.

Zhao Hualin: a lot of environmental protection law, the principle is very good, but some of the specific provisions are not too fine, then the implementation of the time to encounter many difficulties. This regulation, which sets out the requirements of the time limit, spatial provisions are very detailed.

Q: Why do we need to develop the "Regulations"

A: The introduction of the "Regulations" can be summarized as "three needs":

One is to ensure the sustainable economic and social development of the Taihu Lake Basin needs. Lake Tai Basin is located in the hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta region, across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and other provinces and cities, densely populated, economically developed, resource and environmental pressures, through legislation to strengthen the protection of water resources in the Lake Tai Basin and the prevention and control of water pollution, to promote the transformation of the mode of economic development, maintenance of ecological security of the basin, is of great significance.

The second is to consolidate the results of the comprehensive treatment of the water environment in the Lake Tai Basin needs. The State Council has always attached great importance to the protection of water resources in the Lake Tai Basin and the prevention and control of water pollution. 2008, the State Council approved the "overall plan for the comprehensive management of the water environment in the Lake Tai Basin", officially launched the Lake Tai Basin comprehensive management of the water environment; 2010, the State Council approved the "Lake Tai Basin Water Functional Zoning". Over the past few years, the Lake Tai Basin drinking water safety, water resource protection, water pollution prevention and other work have made remarkable achievements, in order to consolidate the results of the comprehensive management of the water environment, it is necessary to pass legislation will be proven effective measures standardized, institutionalized.

Third is a better implementation of the water law, water pollution control law and other legal needs. Compared with other basins, the Taihu Lake basin in the natural conditions, economic and social development stage has certain particularities, the need for the premise of not contradicting the previous law, in accordance with the "high standards, strict requirements, to take more forceful, more resolute measures" spirit, for the special circumstances of the Taihu Lake basin to provide for a number of more targeted specific measures to ensure that the water law, water pollution prevention and control law. Water Law, Water Pollution Control Law and other laws to better implement.

Removal and closure of sewage outfalls and garbage dumps in the protected area

Q: Drinking water safety is closely related to the people's lives, the Regulations made what provisions?