2 eastern provinces clamp down on chemical plants

Hundreds of facilities closed; rules laid down on locations, resident proximity

Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, the two regions with the most valuable chemical output, have made stricter environmental protection policies and closed many chemical plants following a blast in Jiangsu's Xiangshui county that killed 78 people in March.

The provincial government released a plan earlier this week calling for closure or relocation of all chemical plants within 1 kilometer of the Yangtze River and outside a designated chemical industry park by the end of 2020.