2024, the Central Second Eco-environmental Protection Supervision Group inspected Zhejiang Province and found that the responsibility of air pollution prevention and control in some key cities was not in place, the "two high" projects were blindly launched and not strictly controlled, environmental violations occurred frequently, heavy polluted weather was not dealt with effectively, and air quality rebounded.
1. Basic information
Hangzhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing and Shaoxing are the key cities for air pollution prevention and control in the Yangtze River Delta region. In 2023, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the ratio of days with good air quality did not meet the assessment target. From the end of 2023 to the beginning of 2024, heavy pollution weather also occurred in four cities. In the first quarter of 2024, the concentration of PM2.5 in the four cities increased by 25.6%, 26.8%, 22.2% and 27% year on year.
Second, the main problem
is that the "two high" projects are blindly launched and not strictly controlled. The State's Guiding Opinions on Adjusting the Structure of Petrochemical Industry to Promote Transformation and Increase Benefits require strict control of new production capacity in excess industries such as caustic soda. Inspectors found that Jiaxing Jiahua Energy and Chemical Co., Ltd. had repeatedly violated regulations to increase caustic soda production capacity. In November 2022, a 150,000 tons/year caustic soda project was launched in the name of energy-saving technological transformation, and the relevant departments filed for approval in violation of regulations. At present, a 100,000 tons/year caustic soda plant has been built. Hangzhou Electrochemical Group Co., Ltd. has built 100000 tons/year caustic soda plant in the same way.
Fig. 1 On May 19, 2024, the on-site inspection team found that Jiaxing Jiahua Energy and Chemical Co., Ltd. had built 100000 tons/year caustic soda plant
in violation of the national "Guiding Opinions on Resolving the Serious Contradiction of Overcapacity" and strictly prohibited the construction of new cement capacity projects. New cement projects shall be replaced by equivalent or reduced quantities. In May 2018, the capacity replacement plan announced by the former Zhejiang Economic and Credit Commission made it clear that Hangzhou Fuyang Shanya Southern Cement and Jiande Southern Cement each built a 5000 tons/day cement clinker production line with a kiln diameter of 4.8 meters. Inspectors found that the relevant departments of Fuyang District and Jiande City in Hangzhou City illegally agreed to adjust the construction specifications of enterprise kilns to 5 meters, and went through the examination and approval procedures. The two production lines increased their production capacity by 1000 tons per day in violation of regulations.
At the same time, the problem of coal-fired boiler violations is prominent. The Three-year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War calls for the basic elimination of coal-fired boilers under 35 steam tons per hour in key areas by the end of 2020. Inspectors found that Hangzhou was not determined enough to promote the elimination of coal-fired boilers and the progress was lagging behind. By the end of 2020, there were still 44 coal-fired boilers with a total of 835.6 steam tons in the city. Up to the arrival of inspectors, 14 coal-fired boilers with less than 35 steam tons per hour were still in operation. Since November 2020, the state and Zhejiang Province have issued relevant policies to explicitly prohibit the construction of coal-fired facilities owned by enterprises, and in principle, no new coal-fired boilers except central heating will be built in key areas. Inspectors found that there were still illegal construction of coal-fired boilers in Hangzhou and Shaoxing.
Second, the supervision and management of some industries are not in place. Although the enameled wire industry in Huzhou City has been renovated many times, the pollution problems of organic waste gas and catalytic combustion tail gas have not been effectively solved. Huzhou Great Wall Special-shaped Wire Co., Ltd. cut off six drying waste gas pipelines without authorization, and the waste gas was discharged directly without treatment, and the organic waste gas was discharged without organization. Huzhou Wanfeng Cable Plant catalytic combustion section exhaust nitrogen oxide emissions can not meet the requirements of remediation, on-site supervision, the enterprise opened the exhaust gas collection cover without authorization, interfering with on-site monitoring, the circumstances are bad.
Fig. 2 On May 15, 2024, the on-site inspection team found that Huzhou Great Wall Special-shaped Wire Co., Ltd. cut off six drying exhaust gas pipelines without authorization, and the untreated exhaust gas was directly discharged into
Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing and other motor vehicle testing institutions for illegal operation and fraud. Eleven of the 12 motor vehicle testing institutions sampled by the inspection team had problems. Hangzhou Jin'an Motor Vehicle Testing Service Company changed the inspection methods without authorization and issued qualified reports in violation of regulations. Jiaxing Hengchang Motor Vehicle Testing Co., Ltd. had irregularities such as irregular testing operations and incomplete records. Shaoxing Guangfa Motor Vehicle Testing Co., Ltd. still issued a qualified report in the case of black smoke.
Fig. 3 On May 21, 2024, the inspection team checked the historical video records on the spot and found that Shaoxing Guangfa Motor Vehicle Testing Co., Ltd. still issued a qualified report
in the case of black smoke from vehicles. Third, the response to heavy pollution weather was inadequate. At the end of 2023, there was a long period of heavy pollution in Zhejiang Province, and the relevant provincial departments sent warning letters many times, but the four cities neither issued warning information nor initiated emergency response measures.
The contingency plan is not strict. Huzhou Fengsheng New Materials Co., Ltd. and other three key gas-related enterprises were not included in the control list as required; Huzhou Zhongshi Technology Co., Ltd. and other 12 coal-related enterprises that should have clear control measures were listed as not needing to take any measures.
Emergency emission reduction measures are not implemented. During the yellow warning period in early 2024 , Hongshi Cement Co., Ltd. of Tonglu County, Hangzhou City, not only failed to implement the production restriction measures required by the contingency plan, but also exceeded the production capacity. Of the 17 enterprises in Jiaxing City sampled by the inspection team, 13 failed to implement emergency emission reduction measures. During the two yellow warnings, six glass furnaces and kilns of Flat Glass Group Co., Ltd. failed to limit production according to the control requirements, and used heavy oil in violation of the requirements of energy assessment and approval to increase pollution emissions. Thirteen enterprises such as Shaoxing Wanfeng Aowei Steam Turbine Co., Ltd. have not implemented emergency emission reduction measures.
Fig. 4 On May 18, 2024, the inspection team checked the production account on the spot and found that during the yellow warning period from February 10 to 11, 2024, Hangzhou Tonglu Hongshi Cement Co., Ltd. has not implemented the production restriction measures
required by the contingency plan. 3. Reason analysis
Some key cities in Zhejiang Province have insufficient understanding of the arduousness and complexity of air quality improvement, relaxed thinking, weak sense of urgency and responsibility, insufficient initiative and synergy. The prevention and control of air pollution is not effective.
The inspection team will further investigate and verify the relevant situation, and do a good job of follow-up supervision as required.
