102
L. Zhang
awareness was very low at the time. However, in order to deal with environmental
problems, relevant authorities issued some policy documents and regulations with
environmental protection functions, and some cities also took measures to protect
the environment.
In terms of industrial pollution prevention and control, in order to deal with the
sanitation issues involved in planning, site selection, design, and industrial waste
treatment concerning new industrial projects in cities, the Ministry of Health established a sanitation supervision office in 1953 to oversee sanitation activities under
the guidance of Soviet consultants. This office should be considered the first environmental protection agency established by the central government of China. The
proposal of “preventive sanitation supervision” can also be regarded as the ideological origin of pollution reduction at the sources emphasized in subsequent pollution control policies. From May to June 1954, the Ministry of Health held the first
National Industrial Sanitation Conference, and formulated an industrial sanitation
policy, proposing to strengthen leadership, promote steady progress in the development of a sanitation system that was designed to support production, rely on the
masses, and prioritize pollution reduction at the sources. Due to the need for uniform
sanitation standards and regulations as a basis for sanitation supervision, the State
Council adopted the Factory Safety and Sanitation Regulations in 1956, and the
Ministry of Health and the State Construction Commission jointly issued the Interim
Sanitation Standards for Industrial Enterprises and Joint Directive on Sanitation
Supervision in Urban Planning and Development. These three documents offered
guidance for the country’s efforts to prevent pollution, ensure drinking water safety
and plan urban development reasonably. In June 1957, the Third and Fourth Offices
of the State Council issued the Circular on the Management of Toxic Wastewater
and Emissions from Industrial and Mining Enterprises, which clearly stated that
attention should be paid to the prevention and control of industrial pollution. The
circular was considered a substantial environmental policy document. In order to
better prevent and control industrial pollution, the Chinese government established
the policy of “comprehensive utilization of industrial waste” in 1956. This was a
fundamental policy concerning the treatment of industrial pollution for more than ten
years. Under the guidance of these documents, polluting industrial enterprises, especially the 156 large and medium-sized projects that had been intensively constructed
during that period, adopted certain prevention and control measures, such as sewage
purification and installation of dust removal equipment. These measures reduced
pollution in the country to a certain extent. In urban development, more attention
was paid to the distribution of pollution sources. Polluting enterprises were built
in industrial areas far away from downtown areas, and forest isolation belts were
built between urban areas and industrial areas to protect urban residents from the
hazardous impact of industrial waste. For example, the Wuhan City Master Plan
formulated in 1954 took into account environmental considerations when planning
for urban development. The Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation (WISCO) and the
Wuhan Roulian Plant, for which construction began during 1953–57, were located on
the north and south banks of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, 20 km
from Wuchang and Hankou. Large-scale machinery manufacturers such as Wuhan
L. Zhang
awareness was very low at the time. However, in order to deal with environmental
problems, relevant authorities issued some policy documents and regulations with
environmental protection functions, and some cities also took measures to protect
the environment.
In terms of industrial pollution prevention and control, in order to deal with the
sanitation issues involved in planning, site selection, design, and industrial waste
treatment concerning new industrial projects in cities, the Ministry of Health established a sanitation supervision office in 1953 to oversee sanitation activities under
the guidance of Soviet consultants. This office should be considered the first environmental protection agency established by the central government of China. The
proposal of “preventive sanitation supervision” can also be regarded as the ideological origin of pollution reduction at the sources emphasized in subsequent pollution control policies. From May to June 1954, the Ministry of Health held the first
National Industrial Sanitation Conference, and formulated an industrial sanitation
policy, proposing to strengthen leadership, promote steady progress in the development of a sanitation system that was designed to support production, rely on the
masses, and prioritize pollution reduction at the sources. Due to the need for uniform
sanitation standards and regulations as a basis for sanitation supervision, the State
Council adopted the Factory Safety and Sanitation Regulations in 1956, and the
Ministry of Health and the State Construction Commission jointly issued the Interim
Sanitation Standards for Industrial Enterprises and Joint Directive on Sanitation
Supervision in Urban Planning and Development. These three documents offered
guidance for the country’s efforts to prevent pollution, ensure drinking water safety
and plan urban development reasonably. In June 1957, the Third and Fourth Offices
of the State Council issued the Circular on the Management of Toxic Wastewater
and Emissions from Industrial and Mining Enterprises, which clearly stated that
attention should be paid to the prevention and control of industrial pollution. The
circular was considered a substantial environmental policy document. In order to
better prevent and control industrial pollution, the Chinese government established
the policy of “comprehensive utilization of industrial waste” in 1956. This was a
fundamental policy concerning the treatment of industrial pollution for more than ten
years. Under the guidance of these documents, polluting industrial enterprises, especially the 156 large and medium-sized projects that had been intensively constructed
during that period, adopted certain prevention and control measures, such as sewage
purification and installation of dust removal equipment. These measures reduced
pollution in the country to a certain extent. In urban development, more attention
was paid to the distribution of pollution sources. Polluting enterprises were built
in industrial areas far away from downtown areas, and forest isolation belts were
built between urban areas and industrial areas to protect urban residents from the
hazardous impact of industrial waste. For example, the Wuhan City Master Plan
formulated in 1954 took into account environmental considerations when planning
for urban development. The Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation (WISCO) and the
Wuhan Roulian Plant, for which construction began during 1953–57, were located on
the north and south banks of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, 20 km
from Wuchang and Hankou. Large-scale machinery manufacturers such as Wuhan