1984.11.01
STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION (Adopted at the Fifth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Sixth National People's Congress and promulgated by Order No. 12 of the President of the People's Republic of China on May 11, 1984,and effective as of November 1, 1984)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER II ESTABLISHMENT OF WATER ENVIRONMENT QUALITY STANDARDS AND POLLUTION DISCHARGE STANDARDS
CHAPTER III SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PREVENTION AND
CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION
CHAPTER IV PREVENTION OF SURFACE WATER POLLUTION
CHAPTER V PREVENTION OF GROUNDWATER POLLUTION
CHAPTER VI LEGAL LIABILITY
CHAPTER VII SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. This Law is formulated for the purpose of preventing and controlling water pollution, protecting and improving the environment, safeguarding human health, ensuring the effective use of water resources and facilitating the development of the socialist modernization.
Article 2. This Law shall apply to the prevention and control of pollution of rivers, lakes, canals, irrigation channels, reservoirs and other surface water bodies, and of groundwater within the territory of the People's Republic of China.
This Law is not applicable to the prevention and control of marine pollution, which is provided for by a separate law.
Article 3. Competent departments under the State Council and local people's governments at various levels shall incorporate the protection of the water environment into their plans and adopt ways and measures to prevent and control water pollution.
Article 4. The environmental protection departments of the people's governments at all levels shall be the organs exercising unified supervision and management of the prevention and control of water pollution.
Navigation administrative offices of transportation departments at various levels shall be the organs exercising supervision and management of pollution from ships.
Water conservancy administration departments, public health administration departments, geological and mining departments, municipal administration departments, and water sources protection agencies on major rivers of people's governments at various levels shall, through performing their respective functions and in conjunction with environmental protection departments, implement supervision and management of the prevention and control of water pollution.
Article 5. All units and individuals shall have the duty to protect the water environment and the right to supervise any act that pollutes or damages the water environment and to inform against the polluter.
Any unit or individual that has suffered losses directly from a water pollution hazard shall have the right to claim damages from and demand the elimination of the hazard by the polluter.
CHAPTER II ESTABLISHMENT OF WATER ENVIRONMENT QUALITY STANDARDS AND POLLUTION DISCHARGE STANDARDS
Article 6. The environmental protection department of the State Council shall establish national water environment quality standards.
The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government may establish their own local, supplementary standards for those items not specified in the national water environment quality standards and report the same to the environmental protection department of the State Council for the record.
Article 7. The environmental protection department of the State Council shall, in accordance with the national water environment quality standards and the country's economic and technological conditions, establish national pollutant discharge standards.
Where the implementation of the national pollutant discharge standards cannot ensure the attainment of the water environment quality standards for local water bodies, the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government may establish local pollutant discharge standards which are more stringent than the national standards and report the same to the environmental protection department of the State Council for the record.
Those who discharge pollutants into any water body where local pollutant discharge standards have been established shall observe such local standards.
Article 8. The environmental protection department of the State Council and the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall amend in due time their respective water environment quality standards and pollutant discharge standards in accordance with the requirements of water pollution prevention and control and with the country's economic and technological conditions.
CHAPTER III SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION
Article 9. Competent departments under the State Council and local people's governments at various levels shall, in the process of developing, utilizing, regulating and allocating water resources, make integrated plans for maintaining proper river flows, proper water levels of lakes and reservoirs and proper groundwater tables, in order to sustain the natural purification capacity of water bodies.
Article 10. Competent departments under the State Council and local people's governments at various levels shall incorporate into their plans of municipal construction the protection of urban water sources and the prevention and control of urban water pollution, by constructing and perfecting municipal drainage systems and sewage treatment facilities.
Article 11. Competent departments under the State Council and local people's governments at various levels shall make rational plans for the placement of industry, and see to it that enterprises causing water pollution are modified and technically renovated, adopting comprehensive prevention and control measures, raising the frequency of water reuse, utilizing resources rationally and reducing the quantity of waste water and pollutants discharged.
Article 12. For domestic and drinking water sources, water bodies at scenic or historic sites, important fishery water bodies and other water bodies of special economic or cultural value, people's governments at or above the county level may delineate protected zones and take measures to ensure that the water quality in those protected zones complies with the standards for their designated uses.
Article 13. New construction projects, extensions, or reconstruction projects which discharge pollutants into water bodies directly or indirectly and installations on water shall be subject to the state provisions concerning environmental protection for such projects.
The environmental impact statement of a construction project shall assess the water pollution hazards the project is likely to produce and its impact on the ecosystem, with prevention and control measures provided therein; the statement shall be submitted, according to the specified procedure, to the environmental protection department concerned for review and approval. The setting up of sewage outfalls within any water conservancy projects such as canals, irrigation channels and reservoirs shall be approved by the relevant department in charge of water conservancy.
When a construction project is to be put into operation or to use, its water pollution prevention and control facilities must be inspected by the environmental protection department; if the facilities do not conform to the specified requirements, the said project shall not be permitted to be put into operation or to use.
Article 14. Enterprises and institutions that discharge pollutants directly or indirectly into a water body shall, pursuant to the provisions of the environmental protection department of the State Council, report to and register with their local environmental protection department their existing treatment and discharge facilities for pollutants, the categories, quantities and concentrations of pollutants discharged under their normal operating conditions and also submit to the same department the relevant technical information concerning the prevention and control of water pollution.
Enterprises and institutions shall report in time if any substantial change occur in the categories, quantities or concentrations of the pollutants discharged. When pollutant treatment facilities are to be dismantled or left idle permission from the local environmental protection department must be obtained.
Article 15. Enterprises and institutions discharging pollutants into a water body shall pay a discharge fee as provided for by the state. If the discharge of pollutants exceeds the limits set by national or local standards, they shall pay a fee for excess discharge according to state provisions and shall assure responsibility to eliminate and control the pollution. Article 16. If a unit discharging pollutants that have caused severe pollution of a water body, it shall be ordered to eliminate and control the pollution within a certain period.
For enterprises and institutions directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government or the people's government of a province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government, the determination of a deadline for elimination or control of pollution shall be recommended by the environmental protection department of the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality, and be reported to the people's government at the corresponding level for decision. For enterprises and institutions under the jurisdiction of a people's government at or below the city or county level, such recommendation shall be made by the environmental protection department of the people's government at the corresponding level for decision. The pollutant discharging units shall accomplish the elimination or control of pollution within the specified period.
Article 17. In case of emergency, such as the severe pollution of a domestic and drinking water source which threatens safe water supply, the relevant environmental protection department shall, with the approval of the people's government at the corresponding level, take compulsory emergency measures, including those of ordering the enterprises or institutions concerned to reduce or stop the discharge of pollutants.
Article 18. Environmental protection departments and relevant supervisory and management departments of people's governments at various levels shall be empowered to make on-site inspections of units under their jurisdiction that discharge pollutants. The units being inspected shall report the situation truthfully and provide the necessary information. The inspecting authorities shall have the obligation to keep the technological and trade secrets of the units inspected.
CHAPTER IV PREVENTION OF SURFACE WATER POLLUTION
Article 19. No new sewage outfalls shall be set up in the protected zones for domestic and drinking water sources, water bodies at scenic or historic sites, important fishery water bodies and other water bodies of special economic or cultural value. When new sewage outfalls are set up in the vicinity of such protected zones, the water bodies within those zones must be ensured against pollution.
Measures for the elimination or control of pollution shall be taken for any sewage outfall which was established before the promulgation of this Law and which discharges pollutants in excess of the limits set by national or local standards. Outfalls endangering drinking water sources shall be relocated.
Article 20. Where any pollutant discharging unit, as a result of an accident or other exigency, discharges pollutants in excess of normal quantities, thereby causing or threatening to cause a water pollution accident, it shall immediately take emergency measures, inform such units as are likely to be endangered or damaged by the water pollution and report the case to the local environmental protection department. Ships that have caused any pollution accident shall report the case to the nearest navigation administration office for its investigation and disposal.
Article 21. The discharge of any oil, acid or alkaline solutions, or deadly toxic liquid waste into any water body shall be prohibited.
Article 22. The washing in any water body of vehicles or containers which have been used for storing oil or toxic pollutant shall be prohibited.
Article 23. The discharge or dumping into any water body, or the direct underground burying of deadly toxic soluble slag, tailings, etc., containing such substances as mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, cyanide and yellow phosphorus, is prohibited.
Sites for depositing deadly toxic soluble slag, tailings, etc. shall be made waterproof and protected against seepage and leaking.
Article 24. The discharge or dumping of industrial waste residues, urban refuse or other wastes into any water body shall be prohibited.
Article 25. The piling or depositing of solid wastes and other pollutants on beaches and bank slopes below the highest water level of rivers, lakes, canals, irrigation channels and reservoirs shall be prohibited.
Article 26. The discharge or dumping of radioactive solid wastes or of waste water containing any high- or medium- level radioactive substances into any water body shall be prohibited.
The discharge of waste water containing low-level radioactive substances shall comply with the relevant national provisions and standards for radioactive protection.
Article 27. Where discharge of heated waste water into any water body is to be made, measures shall be taken to ensure that the temperature of the water body conforms to the water environment quality standards, so as to prevent any heat pollution hazard.
Article 28. Pathogen-contaminated sewage can be discharged only after it is disinfected to meet the relevant national standards.
Article 29. The discharge of industrial waste water or urban sewage into agricultural irrigation channels shall only be made with the assurance that the water quality at the nearest irrigation intake downstream conforms to the agricultural irrigation water quality standards.
When industrial waste water or urban sewage is used for irrigation, attention shall be paid to guarding against pollution of the soil, groundwater or agricultural products.
Article 30. The application of pesticides shall comply with the state provisions and standards for their safe use.
Transportation and storage of pesticides and disposal of expired or ineffective pesticides shall be strictly controlled to prevent water pollution.
Article 31. The discharge of oil-bearing waste water or domestic sew age from ships shall comply with ship pollutant discharge standards. Ocean navigating ships, on entering inland rivers or harbours, shall observe ship pollutant discharge standards for inland rivers.
Residual oil or waste oil of ships must be recovered, and its discharge into any water body shall be prohibited. The dumping of ship refuse into any water body shall be prohibited. In the process of loading and transporting oils or toxic cargoes, ships must be saferguarded against spillage and leakage and against such cargoes falling into the water, so as to prevent water pollution therefrom.
CHAPTER V PREVENTION OF GROUNDWATER POLLUTION
Article 32. Enterprises and institutions shall be prohibited from discharging waste water containing toxic pollutants or pathogens or dumping other wastes into seepage wells, cesspools, crevices or karst caves.
Article 33. At places where no satisfactory impervious strata exist, enterprises and institutions shall be prohibited from using ditches, pits or ponds which are without safeguards against seepage for conveyance or storage of waste water containing toxic pollutants or pathogens, or of other wastes.
Article 34. In exploiting groundwater from multiple aquifers, layered exploitation shall be resorted to if water quality differs greatly from one aquifer to another. Combined exploitation of artesian water and polluted phreatic water shall not be permitted.
Article 35. While constructing underground engineering facilities or carrying out prospecting, mining or other underground activities, protective measures shall be taken for prevention of groundwater pollution.
Article 36. Artificial recharge of groundwater shall not be deleterious to groundwater quality.
CHAPTER VI LEGAL LIABILITY
Article 37. Any violator of this Law shall, according to the circumstances of the case, be warned or fined by the competent environmental protection department or the navigation office of the competent transportations department for any of the following:
(1) refusing to report or submitting a false report on items for which registration is required by the environmental protection department of the State Council for the discharge of pollutants;
(2) putting into operation or to use a construction project whose water pollution control facilities either have not been completed or fail to meet the requirements specified in state provisions for environmental protection management for construction projects;
(3) refusing an on-site inspection by the competent environmental protection department or supervisory and management department, or resorting to deception;
(4) storing, piling, abandoning, dumping or discharging any pollutant or waste in violation of CHAPTERs IV and V of this Law; or
(5) failing to pay, as provided for by the state, the fee for pollutant discharge or for excess discharge.
The amount of the fine and the procedure for its imposition shall be stipulated in the rules for the implementation of this Law.
Article 38. An enterprise or institution which has caused severe pollution to water bodies but has failed to accomplish its elimination by the deadline as required shall, as provided for by the state, pay twice or more the fee for excess discharge; in addition, a fine may be imposed in accordance with the consequent damage and loss, or the said enterprise or institution may be ordered to suspend operations or close down.
The fine shall be decided by the competent environmental protection department. Orders for the suspension of operations or the shutdown of enterprises and institutions shall be issued by the local people's government which set the deadline for the elimination of pollution. Orders for their suspension of operations or shutdown of enterprises and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Central Government be submitted to and approved by the State Council.
Article 39. An enterprise or institution which violates this Law, there by causing a water pollution accident, shall be fined by the competent environmental protection department or the navigation office of the competent transportation department in accordance with the consequent damage and loss. In a serious case, the persons responsible shall be subject to administrative sanction by the unit to which they belong or by a higher competent authority.
Article 40. A party refusing to accept the decision of administrative sanction may bring a suit before a people's court within 15 days from the date of receiving the notification. If upon the expiration of the period the party neither brings a suit nor complies with the decision, the organ which imposed the sanction may apply to the people's court for compulsory enforcement.
Article 41. The unit which has caused a water pollution hazard has the responsibility to eliminate it and make compensation to the unit or individual that suffers direct losses.
A dispute over liability to make compensation or the amount of compensation may, at the request of the parties, be settled by the competent environmental protection department or by the navigation office of the competent communications department. If a party refuses to accept the decision, he may bring a suit before a people's court. The party may also bring a suit before the people's court directly.
If the water pollution losses are caused by a third party intentionally or negligently, the third party shall be liable to make compensation.
The unit discharging pollutants shall bear no liability for water pollution losses occasioned by the victim's own fault.
Article 42. If water pollution losses result entirely from irresistible natural disasters which cannot be averted even after reasonable measures have been promptly taken, the party concerned shall be exempted from liability.
Article 43. Should any violation of this Law give rise to a serious water pollution accident leading to any grave consequence of heavy public or private property losses or serious personal injury or death, the person responsible for such violation may be investigated for criminal liability by application of Article 115 or 187 of the Criminal Law.
CHAPTER VII SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
Article 44. For the purpose of this Law, the definitions of the following terms are:
(1) " Water pollution " means the introduction into a water body of any substance which alters the chemical, physical, biological or radioactive properties of the water in such a way as to affect its effective use, endanger human health, damage the ecosystem or be deleterious to water quality.
(2) " Pollutant " means a substance that is capable of causing water pollution.
(3) " Toxic pollutant " means a pollutant that, when ingested by organisms directly or indirectly, leads to diseases, abnormal behaviour, genetic mutation, physiological functional disturbance, organism deformity or death of the organisms themselves or their offspring.
(4) " Oil " means any kind of oil or its refined products.
(5) " Fishery water bodies " means those parts of water bodies designated for the spawning, feeding, wintering or migratory passage of fish or shrimp, and for breeding fish, shrimp shellfish or growing algae.
Article 45. The environmental protection department of the State Council shall, on the basis of this Law, formulate rules for its implementation, which shall be put into effect after being submitted to and approved by the State Council.
Article 46. This Law shall come into force on November 1, 1984.