Legislators mulling draft revision to marine law

Chinese lawmakers are mulling over a draft revision to the Marine Environment Protection Law that would ban the discharge of radioactive wastewater into the ocean that pollutes the marine environment and damages the marine ecology, as part of efforts to intensify pollutant discharge management.

The draft was submitted to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a second reading on Monday. The first reading took place in December 2022.

Operators of sewage outlets should beef up environmental monitoring and fix automatic monitoring facilities, the draft revision said.

Marine waste governance is another major concern in the draft revision.

Governments at the county level and above in coastal regions should create institutions for marine waste monitoring and cleanup. Systems concerning the monitoring, interception, collection, transportation and disposal of marine waste should be established and implemented, it said.

The draft said the governments should take effective measures to encourage and support public participation in marine waste control. It also plans to introduce a target-oriented performance appraisal mechanism for local governments.

For sea areas with unrealized environmental protection targets, there will be restrictions placed on the introduction of new projects, the draft said.

Furthermore, environmental authorities at and above the provincial level will suspend examinations and approvals of environment impact assessment reports for projects planned in such areas if they discharge pollutants, it said.

The report is a must for new projects.

These authorities will summon leading officials from local governments with jurisdiction over these areas as well as from relevant departments, it said. Rectification measures should be rolled out in a timely manner, and results should be made public.