Environmental Pollution Liability Insurance in China: In Need of Strong Government Backing

Environmental pollution liability insurance was officially introduced in China only in 2006, as part of new market-based approaches for managing environmental risks. By 2012, trial applications of pollution insurance had been launched in 14 provinces and cities. More than ten insurance companies have entered the pollution insurance market with their own products and contracts. Companies in environmentally sensitive sectors and high-risk industries bought pollution insurance, and a few successful compensation cases have been reported. Still, pollution insurance faces a number of challenges in China. The absence of a national law weakens the legal basis of pollution insurance, and poor technical support stagnates further implementation. Moreover, current pollution insurance products have limited risk coverage, high premium rates, and low loss ratios, which make them fairly unattractive to polluters. Meanwhile, low awareness of environmental and social liabilities leads to limited demand for pollution insurance products by industrial companies. Hence, the pollution insurance market is not yet flourishing in China. To improve this situation, this economic instrument needs stronger backing by the Chinese state.     

Pollution prevention and control procedure case study: an application for petroleum refineries

There is global environmental concern about the pollution from industries and other organizations that should not only be controlled but also prevented. Many alternatives are available to those in charge of environmental protection, but they should be able to draw on a systematic procedure to help implement prevention and control measures. At present, there are three immediate tasks: defining the objective of any environmental study, identifying the potential pollution sources, and selecting alternatives to these sources. However, it is necessary to evaluate these alternatives by using as large a number of criteria as possible and making them cumulative so as to enable the classification and selection of the best available techniques for each pollution source. The petroleum refining industry plays an important role in the developed economies and also has a potential for pollution generation that must be controlled. The best solution for all (i.e., petroleum companies, the public, and the environment) is pollution prevention, because this option will protect all of them and will also reduce costs in terms of lower raw materials consumption as well as reducing potential fines. The procedure we have presented in this article has been applied successfully.     

Government/Industry Cost Sharing for Air Pollution Control

Several existing federal and state provisions act to reduce the cost to in dustry of controlling air pollution. Included are the federal corporate income tax, depreciation allowances, investment credits, small Business Administration loans, Economic Development Administration aid, and state tax laws. These provisions give government assistance to industry amounting to as much as 59 percent of the cost of air pollution control. Numerous bills have been introduced in Congress that would give additional government aid to industry in the form of special across-the-board tax allowances for air pollution control equipment. A typical bill of this type would result in the government bearing an additional 11 percent of these costs. There are several possible objectives for this kind of additional aid; however, none of these seem valid when the amount of present assistance is recognized. From this analysis, it would seem that additional across-the-board tax subsidies for air pollution control equipment are neither required nor advisable. Future studies and/or experience may show certain firms or industries for which air pollution control will be too great a burden and for which additional government assistance is advisable. When such cases are found, legislation should be enacted only after the pros and cons of the various assistance methods are considered.     

Global economic repercussions of a Pigouvian tax: who bears the brunt?

The global interdependency in trade, finance and environmental issues should prompt both the OECD and non-OECD countries to engage in more dialogue. The application of a carbon tax could lead to changes in macroeconomic behaviour in OECD countries, which will impact upon trading patterns. Environmental improvements in developing countries are costly, but can be undertaken effectively in an environment of growth and prosperity. The implementation of unilateral environmental packages is not likely to be efficient in tackling global problems. Resources should rather be diverted to developing countries, where returns for reductions in harmful emissions and pollution levels are much higher per dollar invested.     

The effect of fiscal decentralization,environmental regulation,and economic development on haze pollution: empirical evidence for 270 Chinese cities during 2007–2016

The current discourse addresses fiscal issues, financial decentralization, and environmental quality and significantly affects economic development and sustainability. This investigation aims to address the research gap in fiscal decentralization and haze pollution for innovation and sustainable growth. This study uses the annual data of 270 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2016 for comprehensive analysis and employs spatial regression methods. The key findings imply that haze pollution in neighbouring cities causes further ecological issues. While the environmental regulations of China tend to have negative impacts on pollution, fiscal decentralization was found to be a key contributor to environmental pollution in Chinese cities. Overall, the study supports the validity of the pollution refuge hypothesis in China. Lastly, the conclusions allow us to conclude that China might need micro-level reforms regarding fiscal decentralization, environmental tax laws, and encouragement of cleaner production technologies.

     

Heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of an industrial area near Bucharest

Background, aim, and scope  

Heavy metals such as lead are well known to cause harmful health effects. Especially children are particularly susceptible to increased levels of lead in their blood. It is also a fact that lead concentration is increasing in the environment due to increased anthropogenic activity. The risk of heavy metal contamination is pronounced in the environment adjacent to large industrial complexes. In a combined case study, the environmental pollution by heavy metals was related to children’s health in the vicinity of an industrial area located 4 km south-east from Bucharest about 2 km east from the nearest town—Pantelimon. This site includes companies processing different, nonferrous solid wastes for recovery of heavy metals and producing different nonferrous alloys and lead batteries. In this paper, mainly the results of environmental sampling and analyses are summarized.     

A Practical Look at Environmental Audits

Company self-auditing has become an increasingly attractive option for both government and industry in achieving compliance with environmental laws. For government, it can diminish the need for continual compliance inspections, and, for industry, it can prevent substantial liability. However, auditing can be conducted in a number of ways, and it is important for company management to be aware of its options before selecting a particular approach. This is particularly true of companies with relatively limited resources for such a project. The following article describes some of the more basic options to be considered In identifying an optimal auditing strategy. It also discusses factors which may make one strategy preferable to another. The article concludes with the interesting observation that, in some cases, a formal audit may be neither necessary nor desirable.     

Dwindling regional environmental pollution through industrial structure adjustment and higher education development

This paper uses Chinese provincial data from 2006 to 2021 as a sample period to study the relationship between higher education development, industrial structure adjustment, and environmental pollution. Conclusions were as follows: (1) the industry structure adjustment can reduce environmental pollution in Chinese regions except eastern, and the increase in the proportion of the tertiary industry will increase pollution emissions in the eastern region. (2) Although there is a negative correlation between higher education and environmental pollution in China, it is not significant. From different regions, the coefficients in the eastern are positive which means aggravated environmental pollution, and the coefficients in the central region are not significant, but higher education in the western region improves environmental pollution. (3) Urbanization has a significant moderating effect on the national and regional environmental pollution, but in the central and western regions, it is smaller than the eastern region; although environmental regulation has a certain inhibitory effect on environmental pollution, the coefficient in the eastern region is significantly positive, and there is a situation of “more pollution, more control.” Further, the increase of foreign direct investment will aggravate environmental pollution; although the elasticity coefficient in the eastern region is negative, there is a trend of improving environmental pollution, but it is not significant. The study holds promising implications for the development of policies related to education, industry, and the environment. Through the research on the relationship between the three, exploring and improving the regional environmental pollution level from the perspective of higher education and industrial structure have important practical significance for the regional green development.

     

海洋环境污染监测方案设计研究

海洋环境污染监测方案是一项复杂的系统工程。中国经过２０多年海洋环境污好监测的实践活动，积累了丰富的经验。但是，由于未能对海洋环境污染监测方案进行深入细致的研讨，致使今天我国海洋环境污染监测尚停留在定性或半定量描述阶段。该文第一次把有关海洋环境污染监测相结合，通过运用逻辑构思方法和监测方法学，详细分析监测方案设计中的各个阶段，监测目标的提出，到方案的实施；从监测数据的加工，到监测信息的发布都进行了辩证的分析。本文既是中国海洋环境污染监测方案的设计指南，也是中国海洋环境污染监测工作的集大成。     

中国土壤环境污染态势及预防、控制和修复策略

在综述中国土壤环境污染态势及成因的基础上,提出了土壤环境污染的预防、控制和修复策略.指出了当前中国土壤环境污染态势严峻,表现出土壤污染范围在扩大,污染物种类在增多,出现了复合型、混合型的高风险污染区,呈现出从污灌型向与大气沉降型并重转变、城郊向农村延伸、局部向区域蔓延的趋势;体现出土壤污染与土壤酸化的叠加、多种传统污染物与新兴污染物相互混合的态势,危及粮食生产、食物质量、生态安全、人体健康以及区域可持续发展.认为以预防为主,预防、控制和修复相结合是中国在相当长时期内的土壤环境保护策略;土壤污染预防需要法律法规、评价标准、管理政策和公众参与,土壤污染控制需要发展物化控制、生物学控制及其协同控制技术,土壤污染修复需要研发工程修复技术、材料、产品与设备,建立技术规范、评价标准和管理体系,推动市场化和产业化发展.     

Azerbaijan: environmental conditions and outlook

The author describes present environmental conditions in Azerbaijan in relation to the Soviet legacy and measures taken since independence. Environmental projects have been financed largely by international organizations and foreign companies. The most serious problems are contaminants in the Caspian Sea; air, water, and soil pollution in Sumgait; illegal fishing; poor quality of drinking water; cutting of forests for fuel and pasture; overgrazing; and soil erosion and salinization. Progress in developing an environmental conscience, necessary for sustained protection of the environment, will depend most importantly on environmental education, growth of democratic institutions and attitudes that encourage both governmental and citizen responsibility for the environment, and economic development that produces a substantial middle class. Positive advances include a Constitution and laws that require protection of the environment, and individuals who speak out for environmental care. Negative factors include poverty and the present government's low priority for environmental protection.     

PM2.5 exposure as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis. An ecological study with a Bayesian mapping approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Some environmental factors are associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Air pollution could be a main one. This study was...     

The use of a multimedia risk analysis approach in designing waste management strategies

A pollution source may release residuals to any of several environmental media, depending on the process design and control strategies. These residuals then are subject to transfer, transport, and transformation within the interconnected compartments of the environmental system. The exposure and susceptibility of people and other receptors to pollutants are different in these various media, and so that risks imposed will vary according to the fate of the pollutants in the system. Because of interactions between compartments in the system, a single-medium approach to environmental management that mitigates problems in one environmental medium at a time independently of risk through other media may not minimize the aggregate risk a receptor receives from all pathways. Alternatively, a multimedia approach advocates focusing on the full environmental system providing pathways for exposure and selecting risk management strategies based on minimization of the aggregate and cumulative risk from all pathways and all compounds. This study combines multimedia risk analysis and an optimization framework to examine a methodology for selecting waste treatment/disposal and pollution control measures, applies the methodology to a sludge management decision problem, and considers the implications for continued use of single-medium analyses.     

The Tools of Environmental Litigation Support: How Environmental Litigation Support Teams Employ a Unique Set of Skills and Tools to Improve the Outcome and Reduce the Cost of Legal Disputes

While the primary goal of environmental investigations is to assess and clean up contaminated properties, significant efforts are also directed towards resolving various matters in legal dispute. Opposing parties often disagree about the cause and timing of contamination and the associated liability and costs for meeting regulatory site closure requirements. Environmental experts are often needed to help resolve such legal disputes with expertise in hydrogeology, toxicology, microbiology, chemistry, engineering, and process safety. These experts, or teams of experts, provide technical approaches to determine the liability and cost apportionment amongst the various potentially responsible parties. Fate and transport models, environmental forensics, and risk assessment help to answer the issues in dispute. Skillful communication of these technical findings is needed to present conclusions to audiences that do not necessarily have technical backgrounds.     

Compensation for natural resource damages from oil spills: a comparison of US law and international conventions

The basic measure of natural resource damages in USA environmental liability statutes is the cost of restoring the injured resources, plus compensation for the interim loss of resources from the time of injury until their full recovery. In contrast, until 1996, the international Convention Protocols addressing liability for accidental oil spills did not hold the responsible party liable for damages to natural resources, except to compensate for lost profits and earnings of commercial users of the resources. Recent developments, however, suggest that international and USA laws are converging. In the 1996 regulations implementing the natural resource liability provisions of the USA Oil Pollution Act (OPA), natural resource damages are quantified as the costs of a Restoration Plan designed to return resources to baseline and to compensate for interim losses. The 1992 international Convention Protocols, which entered into force in May 1996, include the costs of resource 'reinstatement' measures, though a clear definition of the scope of 'reinstatement', consistent with the restoration concepts in the OPA regulations, could provide an inclusive measure of damages for environmental harm. Furthermore, such a measure would not contravene the policy, previously articulated by the international organisation administering the compensation regime, that only losses quantifiable in financial terms may be claimed.     

Integrated approach of environmental impact and risk assessment of Rosia Montana Mining Area, Romania

The environmental impact assessment of mining sites represents nowadays a large interest topic in Romania. Historical pollution in the Rosia Montana mining area of Romania caused extensive damage to environmental media. This paper has two goals: to investigate the environmental pollution induced by mining activities in the Rosia Montana area and to quantify the environmental impacts and associated risks by means of an integrated approach. Thus, a new method was developed and applied for quantifying the impact of mining activities, taking account of the quality of environmental media in the mining area, and used as case study in the present paper. The associated risks are a function of the environmental impacts and the probability of their occurrence. The results show that the environmental impacts and quantified risks, based on quality indicators to characterize the environmental quality, are of a higher order, and thus measures for pollution remediation and control need to be considered in the investigated area. The conclusion drawn is that an integrated approach for the assessment of environmental impact and associated risks is a valuable and more objective method, and is an important tool that can be applied in the decision-making process for national authorities in the prioritization of emergency action.     

Association of PM2.5 pollution with the pattern of human activity: A case study of a developed city in eastern China

Recently, air pollution has attracted a substantial amount of attention in China, which can be influenced by a variety of factors, but the association between air pollution and human activity is not quite clear. Based on real-time online data (January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014) of air pollution and meteorology reported by official sites, and demographic, economic, and environmental reform data in a statistical yearbook, the influences of meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation intensity, and wind force) and human activities on PM_2.5 pollution were explored. After correlation analysis, logistic regression analysis, and a nonparametric test, weak negative correlations between temperature and PM_2.5 pollution were found. In most cases, festival and morning peak hours were protection and risk factors of PM_2.5 pollution, respectively. In addition, government actions, such as an afforestation project and increasing financial expenditure for energy saving and environmental protection, could greatly contribute to alleviating pollution of PM_2.5. The findings could help officials formulate effective laws and regulations, and then PM_2.5 pollution related to the pattern of human activity would be ameliorated.

Implications: Most of the time, festival and morning peak hours are protection and risk factors for PM_2.5 pollution, respectively. Increasing the percentage of afforestation area and financial expenditure for energy saving and environmental protection could significantly reduce PM_2.5 pollution. The findings can help officials formulate effective laws and regulations, and then PM_2.5 pollution related to the pattern of human activity, especially government action, will be ameliorated.     

化工厂环境风险评估方法探讨

对某化工厂事故隐患进行了周密调查及工程分析，筛选出主要风险因子并进行风险预测；运用概率统计法对不同生产方案、不同污染源强及不同环境功能区的污染风险进行了综合评价研究。     

农药优先监测品种的筛选研究

本文对我国目前正在广泛使用的几百个农药品种,从其产量,田间的施用量以及环境毒理学,环境化学,环境生物学的角度进行了系统的研究。在对各种农药进行环境风险性评价的基础上,筛选出目前在我国使用量大,毒性高,环境危害严重的10个农药品种,作为我国近期内应执行的环境优先监测品种。可以认为,若能控制了这些优先监测农药的环境污染,那么,也就在总体上控制了农药的污染问题。     

Genotoxicity detected in wild mice living in a highly polluted wetland area in south western Spain

A field study was carried out in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in an industrial area in the neighbourhood of Huelva city, SW Spain, and in a natural area (Do?ana National Park) for comparison, to estimate the genetic risk induced by environmental pollution in wild mice. Genotoxic effects in a sentinel organism, the Algerian mice (Mus spretus) free living in the industrial area were compared with animals of the same species living in the natural protected area. The single cell gel electrophoresis, or Comet assay, was performed as a genotoxicity test in peripheral blood of mice. Our results clearly show that mice free living in the contaminated area bear a high burden of genetic damage as compared with control individuals. The results suggest that the assessing of genotoxicity levels by the Comet assay in wild mice can be used as a valuable test in pollution monitoring and environmental conservation.