Guangdong Province is trying to curb
industrial pollution by preventing cities with excessive pollutant
emissions being granted new investment projects.
According to Xie Qianghua, vice-governor of Guangdong, 21
municipal governments in the province signed agreements with the
provincial government earlier this week not to exceed set emission
ceilings for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and sulfur dioxide.
COD is the amount of oxygen extracted from water by bacteria
when pollutants decompose. For example, a higher level of organic
material in sewage means more oxygen is needed to decompose the
pollutants and, consequently, the pollution is worse.
Xie said that the province aims to lower COD emissions to no
more than 899,000 tons a year, and sulfur dioxide to 1.10 million
tons, by the end of 2010. That would be 15 percent less than in
2005.
According to the vice-governor, all existing coal-fuelled and
oil-burning power plants with a generation capacity of 125
megawatts will be equipped with desulfurizers by 2008. Every new
power plant will be installed with desulfurizing equipment before
they begin operating.
The vice-governor said the province will increase its sewage
disposal capacity by 5 million tons per day by the year 2010. The
current disposal system can handle 6.69 million tons of sewage per
day.
Huang Qiyao runs an electroplating plant in Guangzhou's Baiyun
District. He recently moved to a new industrial park especially set
up for electroplating enterprises in line with government
plans.
But he told China Daily:" We really hope the government
can consider subsidizing us for our relocation expenses and the
installation of sewage disposal equipment."
(China Daily September 22, 2006)