Jiangsu Province has introduced an even tougher regulation to curb water pollutants discharged into Taihu Lake, said a source with the provincial environmental protection authority.
The new regulation, which is expected to take effect on January 1 next year, demands that emissions of Chemical Oxygen Demand or (COD), ammonia nitrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus in industrial waste water and sewage disposal must meet first class national standards.
The Taihu Lake area is home to six major industries that have contributed to most of the pollution in the lake, including dye, chemicals, paper-making, steel-making and food manufacturing plants.
It is the first time the eastern province has dramatically raised the emission standard on water pollutants discharged into the lake since it was affected by the large algae outbreak in June this year.
The new regulation demands that by the end of June next year all cities and towns around Taihu Lake must improve the standards of sewage disposal plants in line with tougher provincial emission limits.
In addition, COD emissions of sewage disposals into the lake will be cut by about 50 percent, said an official with the Jiangsu environmental protection department, who declined to be named.
The official estimates about one-third of industrial plants located in the Taihu Lake area will be closed or relocated after the new regulation is implemented.
Sources with the provincial government also said some 3,000 small and medium-sized chemical plants, many located on the banks of the lake, will be shut down by the end of 2009.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
