China revises law on water pollution prevention and control.
The law was adopted after a second reading at the bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Submitted to the committee for a first reading in December 2012, the new version strengthens government responsibility and supervision.
The law stipulates that emergency and back-up water resources should be set up in cities with single water sources and governments above the county-level should make public information of drinking water quality at least once a quarter.
Those who build sewage outlets in protected drinking water source areas will face a maximum fine of one million yuan.
At the beginning of the session, lawmakers also reviewed the first soil pollution prevention and control law.
According to the draft, all entities and individuals must prevent soil pollution, and will be held accountable for damage caused.
There will be national standards for soil pollution risk control.
China revised its law on air pollution in 2015, restricting various sources of smog and making environmental data more transparent.
The Air Pollution Control Law stipulates that a gasoline quality standards should be established and matched with restrictions on major pollutants.

Draft amendment boosts govt role in water protection.
BEIJING – China’s top legislature on Thursday began reviewing a draft amendment to better prevent water pollution by strengthening government responsibility and supervision.
The draft amendment to the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) for second reading at the start of its bi-monthly session.
The draft suggested that the "river chief" system should be promoted to provincial, city, county and township levels, with leading officials assuming major responsibility in addressing water pollution.
Drinking water suppliers who failed to provide standard water to the public will be fined up to 200,000 yuan (about US$32,000), according to the draft.
Three years after China declared war on pollution, lawmakers began reviewing a draft legislation for the country’s first soil pollution prevention and control law on Thursday to head off rising public concerns over environmental costs of decades of rapid growth.
It is China’s latest attempt to curb worsening soil pollution and rehabilitate the country’s vast swathes of contaminated land.
Explaining the draft to lawmakers at the start of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee’s bi-monthly session, Luo Qingquan, deputy head of the NPC’s Environment and Resources Protection Committee, said China is facing a "grim situation" in terms of its soil conditions.
Soil pollution has become an imminent environmental challenge that needs to be addressed and an outstanding obstacle in the country’s quest to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, he said.
By putting in place the "strictest environmental protection system," the new law will help improve soil quality, ensure safe agricultural products and public health, safeguard sustainability in the utilization of soil resources, and protect and improve the environment, he said.

– Proposed ordinance to develop a jointly owned and operated industrial park in conjunction with Edgefield County, pursuant to Sec.
4-1-170 of the Code Of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended; to provide for a written agreement to provide for the expenses of the park, the percentage of revenue allocations, and the distribution of fees in lieu of ad valorem taxation; and to provide for other matters related thereto (Aiken County/Edgefield County Park-BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P./Project Apollo).
(To allow BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. to use land in Aiken and Edgefield for business purposes that will have a positive economic impact for the County – Project Apollo) – Proposed ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee agreement by and between Aiken County, South Carolina and BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P., formerly known as Project Apollo, providing for a payment of a fee in lieu of taxes and other matters related thereto.
4-1-170 of the Code Of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended; to provide for a written agreement to provide for the expenses of the park, the percentage of revenue allocations, and the distribution of fees in lieu of ad valorem taxation; and to provide for other matters related thereto (Aiken County/Edgefield County Park-BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P./Project Apollo) (Third Reading) (To allow BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. to use land in Aiken and Edgefield for business purposes that will have a positive economic impact for the County – Project Apollo) – Proposed ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee agreement by and between Aiken County, South Carolina and BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P., formerly known as Project Apollo, providing for a payment of a fee in lieu of taxes and other matters related thereto (Third Reading) – An ordinance amending the fifth supplemental ordinance titled "A fifth supplemental ordinance making provision for the terms and conditions of a sewer system revenue borrowing of Aiken County, South Carolina, authorized by Ordinance No.
90-6-32 of Aiken County adopted June 19, 1990 ("bond ordinance"); approving the financing of sewer system improvements in Aiken County, South Carolina, through the borrowing of not exceeding $50,000,000 plus capitalized interest, if any, from the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund, by agreement with the South Carolina Water Quality Revolving Fund Authority pursuant to Title 48, Chapter 5, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended; providing for the agreement to make and to accept a loan, the execution and delivery of a loan agreement between Aiken County and the South Carolina Water Quality Revolving Fund Authority, the execution and delivery of a promissory note from Aiken County to the South Carolina Water Quality Revolving Fund Authority; amending the bond ordinance; and other matters relating thereto" (the "fifth supplemental ordinance"); and other matters relating thereto (Third Reading) (Amending Sewer System Revenue Ordinance to extend the time under which Aiken County can borrow the money.)
as sponsor affiliates under the fee agreement between Aiken County, South Carolina, and ESA Solar SC, LLC., as sponsor dated as of February 7, 2017; and other related matters.
(Clay Killian, county administrator) – Proposed ordinance to establish operating, capital and debt service budgets for Aiken County, South Carolina for the fiscal year July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018; to provide for the levy revenues and for the appropriation thereof; and to provide for other matters related thereto.
(County Council) (First Reading) (To adopt the County operating budget for the next fiscal year)
– Fiscal Year 2017 Aiken County Contingency Report as of April 19, 2017.
Such motions also may be made at other times during the meeting.)

Water pollution bill advances, despite strong opposition at public hearing.
Chad Cordell, Kanawha Forest Coalition Organizer, shows photos that he had taken of contaminated mine sites in West Virginia.
Cordell was speaking during Monday’s water quality hearing in the house chambers.”These areas looked nothing like this when i was a child,” said Cordell, who went on to talk about how he now cannot take his own children to the same of the places that he enjoyed in his youth, due to water contamination.
A bill that would allow more toxic pollution to be discharged into West Virginia’s rivers and streams moved one step closure to passage Monday, despite strong opposition at a public hearing in the House.
“I’m trying to save the body time so we can get to the real legislation that is going to create jobs.” Pushkin’s motion failed on a vote of 25-72.
DEP would use average flow figures for streams, instead of the current method using low-flow figures.
This would result in water pollution permits that allow potentially significant increases in legal discharges into rivers and streams statewide.
During a public hearing this morning, the majority of the speakers opposed the legislation.
“I know times are tough, but this bill is not the solution,” said Gabriel Peña of Fayette County, one of two dozen residents who spoke against the measure.
“Protecting water quality is an investment in the future of West Virginia.” Joining industry lobbyists in supporting the bill was Woody Thrasher, Gov.