By Chang Jiwen, Research Institute of Resources and Environmental Policies, DRC

Research Report, No.126, 2020 (Total 5870) 2020-5-27

Abstract: The prevention and control of hazardous waste pollution in China is faced with challenges such as high stock and large increment, uneven disposal capacity between regions and difficulty in cutting off the illegal industrial chain associated with high pollution. In order to implement the revised Law on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste effectively, we need to strive to enhance the reform and management of hazardous waste. Policy options are raised as follows. 1. It is necessary for us to set out guidelines on risk and damage prevention and orders for primary management; 2. We need to refine the power list to promote oversight by the NPC and CPPCC; 3. We need to enhance intra-regional capacity building and inter-regional capacity sharing; 4. We need to raise the requirement for the construction and renovation of supporting facilities in industrial parks, improve the accounting management and intelligent supervisory system, and see to it that companies could truly shoulder the principal responsibility for pollution prevention and control; 5. We need to improve the market-based operation policies, specify the contractual obligations of entrusted disposal, and pilot third-party payment and law-abiding supervision; 6. We need to raise the epidemic prevention requirements for medical hazardous waste and household garbage in epidemic areas, establish government procurement services and a mandatory calling up system for the pooling of relevant institutions and personnel to respond to polluted cases, and build a regional rescue network for hazardous wastes disposal; 7. We need to implement a system that allows financial institutions to get involved in supervision and third-party credit appraisal, and increase penalties for repeated violations.

Keywords: revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste, hazardous waste, environmental pollution, prevention and control, reform