China drafts plan to phase out organic pollutants

23 May 2006 09:56  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--China has drawn up a plan to phase out the use of persistent organic pollutants (POP) as part of its commitment to the Stockholm Convention, the government environmental agency said on Tuesday.

Work on the plan was still at an initial stage but the State Environment Protection Administration (SEPA) will follow the convention’s timeline to gradually phase out the use of POPs, Zhang Lijun, deputy commissioner of the SEPA, said in a statement on its website.

“Investigations showed that out of the 12 POPs listed in the convention, chlordane, mirex and DDT are still produced and used in China,” he added.

Large amounts of dioxins are also emitted from the paper, metal and chemical industries as well as from waste incinerators, Zhang said.

Even though China stopped large-scale production of DDT, polychlorinated biphenols (PCB) and toxaphene back in the 80s, POP waste still existed due to a lack of awareness and modern technology, he added.

SEPA plans to improve the level of technology in China and to raise awareness on the harmful effects of POPs, said Zhang. The convention also requires China to stop using chlordane, mirex and some DDT in the next five to 10 years and clear up PCB in facilities by 2025, he added.

China was one of the 92 countries that signed the Stockholm Convention in May 2001. The convention took effect in November 2004 and China is required to submit its plan by the end of this year.

By: Florence Tan
+65 6780 4359

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