Important Notice:
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.

Whole Document

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(Adopted at the 11th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the
Seventh National People's Congress on December 26, 1989, promulgated by
Order No. 22 of the President of the People's Republic of China on
December 26, 1989, and effective on the date of promulgation)

Contents

Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Supervision and Management of the Environment
Chapter III Protection and Improvement of the Environment
Chapter IV Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution and Other
Public Hazards
Chapter V Legal Liability
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1
This Law is formulated for the purpose of protecting and improving
people's environment and the ecological environment, preventing and
controlling pollution and other public hazards, safeguarding human health
and facilitating the development of socialist modernization.
Article 2
"Environment" as used in this Law refers to the total body of all natural
elements and artificially transformed natural elements affecting human
existence and development, which includes the atmosphere, water, seas,
land, minerals, forests, grasslands, wildlife, natural and human remains,
nature reserves, historic sites and scenic spots, and urban and rural
areas.
Article 3
This Law shall apply to the territory of the People's Republic of China
and other sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of
China.
Article 4
The plans for environmental protection formulated by the state must be
incorporated into the national economic and social development plans; the
state shall adopt economic and technological policies and measures
favourable for environmental protection so as to coordinate the work of
environmental protection with economic construction and social
development.
Article 5
The state shall encourage the development of education in the science of
environmental protection, strengthen the study and development of the
science and technology of environmental protection, raise the scientific
and technological level of environmental protection and popularize
scientific knowledge of environmental protection.
Article 6
All units and individuals shall have the obligation to protect the
environment and shall have the right to report on or file charges against
units or individuals that cause pollution or damage to the environment.

Article 7
The competent department of environmental protection administration under
the State Council shall conduct unified supervision and management of the
environmental protection work throughout the country.
The competent departments of environmental protection administration of
the local people's governments at or above the county level shall conduct
unified supervision and management of the environmental protection work
within areas under their jurisdiction. The state administrative
department of marine affairs, the harbour superintendency administration,
the fisheries administration and fishing harbour superintendency agencies,
the environmental protection department of the armed forces and the
administrative departments of public security, transportation, railways
and civil aviation at various levels shall, in accordance with the
provisions of relevant laws, conduct supervision and management of the
prevention and control of environmental pollution. The competent
administrative departments of land, minerals, forestry, agriculture and
water conservancy of the people's governments at or above the county level
shall, in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws, conduct
supervision and management of the protection of natural resources.
Article 8
The people's government shall give awards to units and individuals that
have made outstanding achievements in protecting and improving the
environment.

Chapter II Supervision and Management of the Environment

Article 9
The competent department of environmental protection administration under
the State Council shall establish the national standards for environment
quality. The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the Central Government may establish their
local standards for environment quality for items not specified in the
national standards for environment quality and shall report them to the
competent department of environmental protection administration under the
State Council for the record.
Article 10
The competent department of environmental protection administration under
the State Council shall, in accordance with the national standards for
environment quality and the country's economic and technological
conditions, establish the national standards for the discharge of
pollutants.
The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the Central Government may establish their
local standards for the discharge of pollutants for items not specified in
the national standards; with regard to items already specified in the
national standards, they may set local standards which are more stringent
than the national standards and report the same to the competent
department of environmental protection administration under the State
Council for the record. Units that discharge pollutants in areas where
the local standards for the discharge of pollutants have been established
shall observe such local standards.
Article 11
The competent department of environmental protection administration under
the State Council shall establish a monitoring system, formulate the
monitoring norm and, in conjunction with relevant departments, organize a
monitoring network and strengthen the management of environmental
monitoring.
The competent departments of environmental protection administration under
the State Council and governments of provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the Central Government shall regularly issue
bulletins on environmental situations.
Article 12
The competent departments of environmental protection administration of
the people's governments at or above the county level shall, in
conjunction with relevant departments, make an investigation and an
assessment of the environmental situation within areas under their
jurisdiction, draw up plans for environmental protection which shall,
subject to overall balancing by the department of planning, be submitted
to the people's government at the same level for approval before
implementation.

Article 13
Units constructing projects that cause pollution to the environment must
observe the state provisions concerning environmental protection for such
construction projects. The environmental impact statement on a
construction project must assess the pollution the projects is likely to
produce and its impact on the environment and stipulate the preventive and
curative measures; the statement shall, after initial examination by the
authorities in charge of the construction project, be submitted by
specified procedure to the competent department of environmental
protection administration for approval. The department of planning shall
not ratify the design plan descriptions of the construction project until
after the environmental impact statement on the construction project is
approved.
Article 14
The competent departments of environmental protection administration of
the people's governments at or above the county level or other departments
invested by law with power to conduct environmental supervision and
management shall be empowered to make on-site inspections of units under
their jurisdiction that discharge pollutants. The units being inspected
shall truthfully report the situation to them and provide them with the
necessary information. The inspecting authorities shall keep confidential
the technological know-how and business secrets of the units inspected.
Article 15
Work for the prevention and control of the environmental pollution and
damage that involve various administrative areas shall be conducted by the
relevant local people's governments through negotiation, or by decision of
the people's government at a higher level through mediation.

Chapter III Protection and Improvement of the Environment

Article 16
The local people's governments at various levels shall be responsible for
the environment quality of areas under their jurisdiction and take
measures to improve the environment quality.
Article 17
The people's governments at various levels shall take measures to protect
regions representing various types of natural ecological systems, regions
with a natural distribution of rare and endangered wild animals and
plants, regions where major sources of water are conserved, geological
structures of major scientific and cultural value, famous regions where
karst caves and fossil deposits are distributed, traces of glaciers,
volcanos and hot springs, traces of human history, and ancient and
precious trees. Damage to the above shall be strictly forbidden.
Article 18
Within the scenic spots or historic sites, nature reserves and other zones
that need special protection, as designated by the State Council, the
relevant competent department under the State Council, and the people's
governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly
under the Central Government, no industrial production installations that
cause environmental pollution shall be built; other installations to be
built in these areas must not exceed the prescribed standards for the
discharge of pollutants. If the installations that have been built
discharge more pollutants than are specified by the prescribed discharge
standards, such pollution shall be eliminated or controlled within a
prescribed period of time.
Article 19
Measures must be taken to protect the ecological environment while natural
resources are being developed or utilized.
Article 20
The people's governments at various levels shall provide better protection
for the agricultural environment by preventing and controlling soil
pollution, the desertification and alkalization of land, the
impoverishment of soil, the deterioration of land into marshes, earth
subsidence, the damage of vegetation, soil erosion, the drying up of
sources of water, the extinction of species and the occurrence and
development of other ecological imbalances, by extending the scale of a
comprehensive prevention and control of plant diseases and insect pests,
and by promoting a rational application of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides and plant growth hormone.
Article 21
The State Council and the people's governments at various levels in
coastal areas shall provide better protection for the marine environment.
The discharge of pollutants and the dumping of wastes into the seas, the
construction of coastal projects, and the exploration and exploitation of
offshore oil must be conducted in compliance with legal provisions so as
to guard against the pollution and damage of the marine environment.

Article 22
The targets and tasks for protecting and improving the environment shall
be defined in urban planning.
Article 23
In urban and rural construction, vegetation, waters and the natural
landscape shall be protected and attention paid to the construction of
gardens, green land and historic sites and scenic spots in the cities in
the light of the special features of the local natural environment.

Chapter IV Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution and Other Public Hazards

Article 24
Units that cause environmental pollution and other public hazards shall
incorporate the work of environmental protection into their plans and
establish a responsibility system for environmental protection, and must
adopt effective measures to prevent and control the pollution and harms
caused to the environment by waste gas, waste water, waste residues, dust,
malodorous gases, radioactive substances, noise, vibration and
electromagnetic radiation generated in the course of production,
construction or other activities.
Article 25
For the technological transformation of newly-built industrial enterprises
and existing industrial enterprises, facilities and processes that effect
a high rate of the utilization of resources and a low rate of the
discharge of pollutants shall be used, along with economical and rational
technology for the comprehensive utilization of waste materials and the
treatment of pollutants.
Article 26
Installations for the prevention and control of pollution at a
construction project must be designed, built and commissioned together
with the principal part of the project. No permission shall be given for a
construction project to be commissioned or used, until its installations
for the prevention and control of pollution are examined and considered up
to the standard by the competent department of environmental protection
administration that examined and approved the environmental impact
statement. Installations for the prevention and control of pollution
shall not be dismantled or left idle without authorization. If it is
really necessary to dismantle such installations or leave them idle, prior
approval shall be obtained from the competent department of environmental
protection administration in the locality.
Article 27
Enterprises and institutions discharging pollutants must report to and
register with the relevant authorities in accordance with the provisions
of the competent department of environmental protection administration
under the State Council.
Article 28
Enterprises and institutions discharging pollutants in excess of the
prescribed national or local discharge standards shall pay a fee for
excessive discharge according to state provisions and shall assume
responsibility for eliminating and controlling the pollution. The
provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution shall
be complied with where they are applicable.
The income derived from the fee levied for the excessive discharge of
pollutants must be used for the prevention and control of pollution and
shall not be appropriated for other purposes. The specific measures
thereof shall be prescribed by the State Council.

Article 29
If an enterprise or institution has caused severe environmental pollution,
it shall be required to eliminate and control the pollution within a
certain period of time. For enterprises and institutions directly under
the jurisdiction of the Central Government or the people's government of a
province, an autonomous region, or a municipality directly under the
Central Government, the decision on a deadline for the elimination or
control of pollution shall be made by the people's government of the
province, autonomous region and the municipality directly under the
Central Government. For enterprises and institutions under the
jurisdiction of a people's government at or below the city or county
level, such decision shall be made by the people's government of the city
or county. Such enterprises and institutions shall accomplish the
elimination or control of pollution within the specified period of time.
Article 30
A ban shall be imposed on the importation of any technology or facility
that fails to meet the requirements specified in the regulations of our
country concerning environmental protection.
Article 31
Any unit that, as a result of an accident or any other exigency, has
caused or threatens to cause an accident of pollution, must promptly take
measures to prevent and control the pollution hazards, make the situation
known to such units and inhabitants as are likely to be endangered by such
hazards, report the case to the competent department of environmental
protection administration of the locality and the departments concerned
and accept their investigation and decision.
Enterprises and institutions that are likely to cause severe pollution
accidents shall adopt measures for effective prevention.
Article 32
If the safety of the lives and property of inhabitants is endangered by
severe environmental pollution, the competent department of environmental
protection administration of the local people's government at or above the
county level must promptly report to the local people's government. The
people's government concerned shall take effective measures to remove or
alleviate the hazard.
Article 33
The production, storage, transportation, sale and use of toxic chemicals
and materials containing radioactive substances must comply with the
relevant state provisions so as to prevent environmental pollution.

Article 34
No unit shall be permitted to transfer a production facility that causes
severe pollution for use by a unit that is unable to prevent and control
pollution.

Chapter V Legal Liability

Article 35
Any violator of this Law shall, according to the circumstances of the
case, be warned or fined by the competent department of environmental
protection administration or another department invested by law with power
to conduct environmental supervision and management for any of the
following acts:
(1) refusing an on-site inspection by the competent department of
environmental protection administration or another department invested by
law with power to conduct environmental supervision and management, or
resorting to trickery and fraud while undergoing inspection;
(2) refusing to report or submitting a false report on items for which
declaration is required by the competent department of environmental
protection administration under the State Council;
(3) failing to pay, as provided for by the state, the fee for the
excessive discharge of pollutants;
(4) importing technology or a facility that fails to meet the requirements
specified in the state provisions concerning environmental protection; or
(5) transferring a production facility that causes severe pollution for
use by a unit that is unable to prevent and control pollution.
Article 36
When a construction project is commissioned or put to use in circumstances
where facilities for the prevention and control of pollution either have
not been completed or fail to meet the requirements specified in state
provisions, the competent department of environmental protection
administration responsible for the approval of the environmental impact
statement on the construction project shall order the suspension of its
operations or use and may concurrently impose a fine.
Article 37
A unit which dismantles or leaves idle the installations for the
prevention and control of pollution without prior approval by the
competent department of environmental protection administration, thereby
discharging pollutants in excess of the prescribed discharge standards,
shall be ordered by the competent department of environmental protection
administration to set up the installations or put them to use again, and
shall concurrently be fined.
Article 38
An enterprise or institution which violates this Law, thereby causing an
environmental pollution accident, shall be fined by the competent
department of environmental protection administration or another
department invested by law with power to conduct environmental supervision
and management in accordance with the consequent damage; in a serious
case, the persons responsible shall be subject to administrative sanction
by the unit to which they belong or by the competent department of the
government.

Article 39
An enterprise or institution that has failed to eliminate or control
pollution by the deadline as required shall, as provided for by the state,
pay a fee for excessive discharge; in addition, a fine may be imposed on
it on the basis of the damage incurred, or the enterprise or institution
may be ordered to suspend its operations or close down. The fine as
specified in the preceding paragraph shall be decided by the competent
department of environmental protection administration. An order for the
suspension of operations or shut-down of an enterprise or institution
shall be issued by the people's government that set the deadline for the
elimination or control of pollution. An order for the suspension of
operations or shut-down of an enterprise or institution directly under the
jurisdiction of the Central Government shall be submitted to and approved
by the State Council.
Article 40
A party refusing to accept the decision on administrative sanction may,
within 15 days of receiving the notification on such a decision, apply for
reconsideration to the department next higher to the authorities that
imposed the sanction; if the party refuses to accept the decision of
reconsideration, it may, within 15 days of receiving the reconsideration
decision, bring a suit before a people's court. A party may also bring a
suit directly before a people's court within 15 days of receiving the
notification on the sanction. If, upon the expiration of this period, the
party has not applied for reconsideration or has neither brought a suit
before a people's court nor complied with the sanction, the authorities
that imposed the sanction may apply to the people's court for compulsory
enforcement.
Article 41
A unit that has caused an environmental pollution hazard shall have the
obligation to eliminate it and make compensation to the unit or individual
that suffered direct losses. A dispute over the liability to make
compensation or the amount of compensation may, at the request of the
parties, be settled by the competent department of environmental
protection administration or another department invested by law with power
to conduct environmental supervision and management. If a party refuses to
accept the decision on the settlement, it may bring a suit before a
people's court. The party may also directly bring a suit before the
people's court.
If environmental pollution losses result solely from irresistible natural
disasters which cannot be averted even after the prompt adoption of
reasonable measures, the party concerned shall be exempted from liability.

Article 42
The limitation period for prosecution with respect to compensation for
environmental pollution losses shall be three years, counted from the time
when the party becomes aware of or should become aware of the pollution
losses.
Article 43
If a violation of this Law causes a serious environmental pollution
accident, leading to the grave consequences of heavy losses of public or
private property or human injuries or deaths of persons, the persons
directly responsible for such an accident shall be investigated for
criminal responsibility according to law.
Article 44
Whoever, in violation of this Law, causes damage to natural resources like
land, forests, grasslands, water, minerals, fish, wild animals and wild
plants shall bear legal liability in accordance with the provisions of
relevant laws.
Article 45
Any person conducting supervision and management of environmental
protection who abuses his power, neglects his duty or engages in
malpractices for personal gains shall be given administrative sanction by
the unit to which he belongs or the competent higher authorities; if his
act constitutes a crime, he shall be investigated for criminal
responsibility according to law.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 46
If an international treaty regarding environmental protection concluded or
acceded to by the People's Republic of China contains provisions differing
from those contained in the laws of the People's Republic of China, the
provisions of the international treaty shall apply, unless the provisions
are ones on which the People's Republic of China has announced
reservations.
Article 47
This Law shall enter into force on the date of promulgation. The
Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China (for Trial
Implementation) shall be abrogated therefrom.