Environmental regulation of exploration and mining operations in Asian countries

This paper offers a new perspective on the environmental laws in Asian nations affecting the exploration, mining, and reclamation activities of the mineral resource industry: the perspective of the senior government officials in those countries, whose job is to enforce these new environmental laws. The article presents the results of a 1998 survey of national environmental officials in Asia conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. Officials in 10 diverse countries—Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—responded to a detailed questionnaire covering applicable laws, agencies, protected areas, covered mineral activities, financial assurance, environmental impact assessment, public involvement, environmental standards, permit and reclamation requirements.
The survey confirms that Asian nations are part of the global trend towards national government regulatory structures that balance mineral development objectives with environmental considerations. The survey also shows developing regulatory systems (some embryonic, some more mature) utilizing a combination of mining and environmental acts, and often an 'insider' perspective of the national officials administering the laws. While that perspective is not without its biases (not least the rigor of enforcement), it may nevertheless be of use in company planning. The emerging regulatory picture contradicts the conventional notion that it is the 'lower' level of regulation in Asia that is attracting foreign direct investment in mining.     

论地方环境立法中的若干问题

地方环境立法是我国环境法体系的重要组成部分,分析了地方环境立法过程中暴露出的若干问题,提出相应对策,并具体论述了如何加强我国地方环境法的体系建设。     

LANDCARE AND COMMUNITY-LED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN VICTORIA,AUSTRALIA1

ABSTRACT: Australia's ‘Landcare’ program is a community-based participatory program established by government to tackle the problem of land degradation. Landcare involves thousands of Australians working together in locally based groups, tackling problems of common concern. Government and community are now looking to ‘scale up’ the Landcare idea to a regional level. State and territory governments have moved to create regional (often watershed-based) frameworks for land management planning and resource conservation, in accordance with the concept of integrated watershed management. Growing out of the success of community involvement in Landcare, many of these approaches involve the community. However scaling up of the Landcare idea introduces problems of both time and space. There have been a number of problems experienced in the implementation of Landcare and integrated watershed management. These problems include the equitable delineation of membership on decision-making bodies; the raising of sufficient funds for program implementation; and the coordination of a diversity of governmental layers, planning processes and management programs. This paper reviews how the State of Victoria has responded to these challenges and suggests what challenges remain.     

我国土壤污染防治立法探究

随着土壤污染防治专门立法的启动,我国土壤污染防治的相关制度也将逐步建立,这对于指导土壤污染防治的实践工作具有重要意义。然而在立法过程中各方争议较大且亟待解决的几个关键问题有必要深入探究,主要涉及立法模式的选择、土壤环境管理模式的选择、污染土壤修复目标的确定及特殊污染土壤责任主体的认定。通过探析各争议问题对立法的核心价值及其背景和实质,并基于国情和我国土壤污染的现状,得出结论即应坚持防治并重,建立综合性土壤立法。采取风险管控的方式进行土壤管理。对受污染土壤的修复目标应结合未来土地用途具体分析。特殊历史遗留污染土壤责任主体的认定,则要坚持污染者负担为基本原则,其他相关原则为补充。     

中国国际河流水资源利用立法略论

我国的国际河流数量众多,分布广泛。国际河流的利用主要分为国际河流的航行利用和国际河流的水资源利用2个方面。我国对国际河流的利用主要表现为对国际河流水资源的利用。完善我国国际河流水资源利用立法非常重要。它可以确保我国既充分、合理,又合法、有据地利用国际河流水资源,消除国际舆论中“中国水威胁论”的不良影响;缓解国内水资源日益紧张的局面;发展流域经济;保护当地生态环境。运用综合分析和实证研究的方法,对我国国际河流水资源利用立法情况和对外谈判进行探讨。检视我国国际河流水资源利用立法存在诸多问题。国际河流水资源利用立法理念不协调;国际河流水资源污染防治立法视野狭隘;双边或多边区域性专项水协定缺失等问题表现得尤为突出。应采取调整国际河流水资源利用立法理念;坚持“公平利用”原则,维护我国权益;健全双边或多边的区域性专项水协定体系;拓宽立法视野,兼顾国际河流水资源利用和保育;保护国际河流水环境等措施,规制国际河流水资源的利用。     

Linking Chemistry to Law in Environmental Forensics

The right to a healthy environment is of capital importance, which is why this matter calls for a detailed study, taking into account implications of both chemistry and law. The present study describes the current level of environmental protection, significant pieces of legislation, and five case studies regarding human rights violations. It reveals reports concerning air quality in Romania and in Europe. A large body of evidence emphasizes that permanent legislation revisions and new legal implementations place Europe on the right track, but plenty of issues remain to be solved until main pollutant emissions drop and the environmental situation becomes at least satisfactory.     

关于《中华人民共和国刑法》环境犯罪规定的思考

《刑法》修订后，在环境犯罪的立法体例、犯罪主体、定罪处罚等方面取得了很大的进步。但是《刑法》在立法模式构成、犯罪客观要件、处罚和可操作性以及与环境资源法规中的刑法规范相协调等问题上还存有诸多缺陷。因此有必要从上述几方面入手，完善环境犯罪的刑事立法。     

环境权初探

环境权是一项基本人权，具有多价值取向和丰富内涵。环境权包括公民环境权，法人及其他组织环境权，国家环境权和人类环境权等。中国环境权之现状及改进进行了研究。     

我国建筑业推行循环经济之法律探析

建筑节能节水节地节材是按照循环经济的3R原则,实现环境保护工作的“三个转变“、建设节约型社会的必然要求.但目前我国在这一领域的还处于发展初期,其立法尤为薄弱,主要存在的问题是:一、可持续发展思想和循环经济理念未得到充分体现;二、环境影响评价制度难以推动循环经济的发展;三、相关标准体系不健全,浪费水、能、地、材的法律责任不明确;四、建筑业资源再生利用制度不健全.文章阐述了循环经济的内涵,并就我国建筑业循环经济发展中的法律障碍提出了初步的完善对策.     

排污收费制度与排污权交易制度的比较研究

实现“十一五”规划纲要中关于总量控制的战略目标，在采用排污收费政府管制手段防治污染的同时，把排污权交易制度作为实施总量控制目标的主要手段来抓，具有重要的理论和实际意义。本文就排污收费制度与排污权交易制度各方面存在的异同，讨论并指出排污权交易制度存在的必要性，把排污权交易制度作为一种过渡性措施加以构建，缓解经济发展与环境保护的矛盾，实现人与自然的和谐发展。