Drop in pollution follows new law
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, September 10, 2015
Shanghai has seen a slight drop in PM2.5 pollutants since the introduction of tougher environmental legislation this year, officials said yesterday.
However, levels of PM2.5 — tiny particles that are especially harmful as they can get deep into the respiratory system — are still many times global safety levels.
The average PM2.5 density was 52 micrograms per cubic meter between January and August, a 1.9 percent decrease on the same period last year, said the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.
But the World Health Organization standard is 10 micrograms per cubic meter on average over the year, while the national figure is 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
"The figures indicate improvements. However, the fight (against pollution) remains fierce for the city," said an official with bureau's pollution control division.
The bureau reported a total of 1,678 violations of the new environmental protection law in the past eight months — up more than 42 percent on the same period last year.
It collected fines totalling 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million) for this period, an increase of almost 57 percent on 2014.
The bureau said the tougher new environmental protection laws, that include daily fines for polluters, has helped.
Among those hit by the accruing fine was the Shanghai Five Continents Dyeing Company, officials said.
It received a 480,000 yuan fine for using heavy polluting energy sources and failing to remedy this after being warned.
It was fined 40,000 yuan per day for the 12 days it failed to take corrective action, said officials.
Other anti-pollution measures taken by the authority include industrial restructuring through shutting down or relocating heavy polluting enterprises and those with heavy energy consumption.
Meanwhile, heavy polluting vehicles will be completely banned from city roads next month.
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