Government issues draft amendment to pollution law

Governments at county level or above may require manufacturers to suspend or reduce production, limit vehicles on the road, ban fireworks and suspend outdoor sports activities at schools in cases of heavy air pollution.

These entitlements are included in a draft amendment to the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution issued by the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council on Tuesday to solicit public opinion, Beijing News reported.

County-level governments or above should also include the fulfillment of air protection goals in performance assessments of their air protection agencies and their chiefs, and their subordinate governments and chiefs, the draft states.

Key regions in air pollution control designated by the State Council should also create unified plans and standards. They should take effective measures to control the number of vehicles in use and implement stricter standards on vehicle emissions.

The country will establish a pre-warning system for heavy air pollution, with provincial-level governments monitoring the pollution level and issuing such warnings.