The Guangdong Department of Environmental Protection (GDEP) has started conducting environmental impact assessments (EIA) on chemical projects such as those involving p-Xylene (PX) amid speculations of possible pollution threats.
According to authorities, the EIA are aimed at streamlining the operations of GDEP, which was tasked by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) in March to assess and monitor projects like national expressways, thermal power stations, and the construction of PX to lower levels.
The projects, as how the officials put it, have modern production technology as well as more developed environmental protection capacities and manageable risks (from city to country levels).
Peng Yingdeng, a senior EIA engineer affiliated with a Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau's research center, told the Global Times: "Delegating authority to low levels could improve the efficiency of EIA, as local governments are more familiar with local projects, and those projects will start construction faster."
Peng also remarked that these low-level environmental bodies tend to prioritize economic development due to limited power, adding that they could be lukewarm when it comes to EIA requirements.
The EIA engineer further noted that collusion between the authorities and the construction firms might be possible for the approval of the EIA report and the projects, particularly the PX construction, hence posing a possible pollution threat.
PX is an essential chemical in the production of polyester goods. A flammable liquid, the chemical poses serious threat to individuals. In a PX plant explosion in the Fujian Province in April, six people were injured.
Since 2007, PX plants in several cities have closed because of the residents' protests against the facilities' threat to the local environment.
"The EIA is the front door in construction, which will lead to serious environmental and social consequences if it fails to block potentially environmentally hazardous projects," Professor Zhao Zhangyuan of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences stated.
Peng and Zhao have both urged the provincial government to maintain its EIA approval power, especially on more environmental-risky projects, and delegate authority on safer ventures to lower levels.
In 2013, the MEP has given EIA powers to low-level government authorities on 25 kinds of projects.