The Ministry urges local environmental departments to update their emergency management programs to better cope with pollution accidents.

 

　　However, Wang Yi, a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress and an environmental expert, says the key is not about drawing up plans.

 

　　"We do have emergency programs and related laws. But in practice, the programs haven't been implemented very well. It is necessary to plan ahead, but the essential part is to carry out the programs and make sure the programs can be put into use after the accidents occur."

 

　　Earlier this year, an aniline spill from a chemical plant in Shanxi Province threatened the supplies of drinking water in three provinces.

 

　　Local authorities later issued an apology for covering it up for five days.

 

　　Based on the National Environmental Emergencies Contingency Plan, local authorities should report a sudden pollution accident within an hour.

 

　　Wang Jing is an environmental law professor with Peking University Law School and has participated in the country's environmental law making projects since 1986.

 

　　He says the problem lies in the current accountability system.

 

　　"The current law and national plans are very vague when it comes to identifying individual accountability. When accidents occur, company actions will be held accountable first, instead of individuals who are related to the accident including the company owner. The same logic is also used when it comes to determine the accountability of government officials. "

 

　　Chen Zhenlou, a delegate to the NPC, says an up-to-date monitoring system is also critical.

 

　　"We didn't do very well in dealing with environmental emergencies. In some cases, the authorities were unaware of the accidents until local residents filed reports. A proper monitoring system is necessary. For example, in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, we are using an old system designed for routine surveillance, but the Yangtze River is open water which is vulnerable to environmental hazards and pollution. We need an automatic monitoring network in the case of emergencies."

 

　　According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, 72 percent of chemical and oil plants were stationed along the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and other major waterways last year, while half of them did not have emergency lagoons.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Zhang Shuangfeng.