Circular on the issues related to the expiration of the sewage discharge permit for the iron and steel smelting industry and the failure to submit the implementation report in accordance with the regulations

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a circular on the issues related to the expiration of the sewage discharge permit for the iron and steel smelting industry and the failure to submit the implementation report in accordance with the regulations, which are as follows:

Departments (bureaus) of ecological environment of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and Ecological Environment Bureau of Xinjiang production and Construction Corps:

In order to implement the regulations on the Administration of sewage discharge permits, give full play to the effectiveness of the sewage discharge permit system, and further promote the "one-certificate" supervision of fixed pollution sources, our Ministry has carried out verification on the implementation of pollution discharge permits of 871 enterprises in the national iron and steel smelting industry. The relevant information is hereby announced as follows.

I. problems found

As of July 29, 2021, the verification found that there were 85 iron and steel smelters whose sewage discharge permits expired but not renewed (see annex 1) and 152 iron and steel smelters that failed to submit the 2020 annual pollution discharge permit implementation reports (see annex 2).

II. Relevant requirements

Please the relevant provincial (autonomous region, municipal) ecological environment departments (bureaus) to further verify the problems found in this inspection, and urge the relevant enterprises to rectify within a time limit. Enterprises that fail to rectify and reform in a timely manner or refuse to do so shall be seriously investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law and exposed on social media.

Annex 1

Annex 2