LEX-FAOC011441

The purpose of these Provisional Regulations is to strengthen the prevention and control of water pollution in the Huaihe River Valley, protect and improve water quality, safeguard human health and ensure water supply for people's daily life and production. The Provisional Regulations consist of 43 articles. The Provisional Regulations govern the prevention and control of pollution of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals and other surface water bodies in the Huaihe River Basin. The four provinces of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong shall be responsible, in their respective regions, for the water environment quality in the Huaihe River Basin and must take measures to realize their aims of prevention and control of water pollution, on the basis of programmes and plans adopted by the competent authorities at the different territorial levels. The pollutant discharging units within the major controlling area of discharging pollutants or the key pollutant discharging units out of the major controlling area of discharging pollutants shall apply for a pollutants discharge permit and shall install measuring instruments of discharged sewage at sewage outfalls. Further provisions concern the following: (a) control of the total amount of pollutants discharged by enterprises, institutions and individual businesses which are incorporated into plans for controlling the total amount of discharged pollutants; (b) monitoring of the water quality of the provincial boundaries of the four provinces by the Bureau of Protection of Water Resources within the territory of the Huaihe River Basin ; (c) prohibition, as of 1 January 1998, of the excess discharge of water pollutants into a water body within the Huaihe River Basin by any industrial enterprise; (d) collection of discharge fees; (e) installation of enlargement of a sewage outfall; (f) prohibition of the establishment of new enterprises engaged in certain activities as per article 22; (g) environmental impact assessment; (h) measures to be taken during the dry season; (i) settlement of disputes; (l) enforcement, offences and penalties.