China Environmental Law

I’m guest blogging today at Climate Progress, A Call for Action from China Hands.  If you’re not familiar with Climate Progress, you should be.  Joe Romm does not mince words, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly which makes his blog consistently illuminating, entertaining and “indispensable.”

[Read more →]

The  Chengcheng Chemical Co. Ltd., a sulfuric acid plant began illegally dumping arsenic contaminated waste water into the Dasha River’s in China’s Henan Province in late July of last year.  The regulatory authorities discovered that the river was contaminated by arsenic on August 26, 2008, and began to take corrective action, including constructing a series [...]

[Read more →]

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has issued a Notice (Chinese only version here; accompanying Q&A here) which sets forth a regulatory opinion on the imposition of administrative punishment in environmental cases.
The Opinion reiterates some basic points, includes some significant new interpretations, and generally provides a welcome clarification of many of the issues surrounding the imposition [...]

[Read more →]

So much to write about so little time.  Here’s a quick look a developing story:
China.org.cn is reporting that the Yingli Green Energy and SDIC Huajing Power have submitted a joint bid to build a 10-MW solar power plant in Dunhuang which will supply power to the national grid at a price of RMB0.69/kwh (US$0.1/kwh).  The [...]

[Read more →]

If you have ever driven on the  Donghai Bridge that snakes its way from the mainland Shanghai for 32.5 kilometers (20.2 miles) out to the offshore Yangshan deep-water port, you know that the view of the silt laden “East Sea” can get rather monotonous (although once you get to the port, the wind swept mountains [...]

[Read more →]

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Sinopec proposed in 2005 to build a petrochemical refinery in Guangzhou.1  The facility will process “15 million tones of oil a year and produce 800,000 tonnes of ethylene.” 2  The Nansha District, an island at the mouth of the Pearl River, was selected as the location for the facility.  The [...]

[Read more →]

In addition to constructing a world-class subway system, Shanghai has for a number of years (some reports say “mid-80’s” others say 1994) imposed a system which helps to limit the number of cars on its streets.  If you want to buy a car in Shanghai, or more accurately, if you want to obtain a license [...]

[Read more →]

I know I promised more on China’s new WEEE regulation this week, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.  Today is absolutely crazy.  Next week I promise!
A couple of plugs: 
CHINA 2009: Gazing into the Crystal Ball
Wondering how the economic downturn is impacting legal and business developments in China? Curious as to what [...]

[Read more →]

And now for some good news. . .
I take the Shanghai Metro to work everyday.  In fact, I take the subway whenever I can.  I’m not making a play for your sympathy or to enhance my green credentials.  The simple fact of the matter is that the subway provides the best, most convenient means of [...]

[Read more →]

China’s public pronouncements on its Copenhagen position are becoming increasingly clumsy and shrill.  I suspect that the Obama victory, the speed with which his administration has moved to engage China on climate change issues, the unified position of the US and Annex 1 countries that China needs to do more, and the crumbling of the [...]

[Read more →]