108
L. Zhang
more clearly expressed. As mentioned above, in 1957, a circular issued by
Nanjing City already proposed the preliminary idea of the “three simultaneous”
system. On this basis, in December 1965, the Municipal Planning Commission,
the Urban Construction Department, and the Health Department of Nanjing
City jointly reported to the Nanjing Municipal People’s Committee: “The
waste treatment facilities of new, expansion and rebuilding projects should
be designed and constructed simultaneously with the main part of the projects.
The design documents shall be submitted to the waste management department, which, together with health, public security and labor departments will
give opinions and sign the design documents. Urban development, design, and
construction departments should supervise this process.” Obviously, the logic
behind the “three simultaneous” system was already very clear. However, due
to various reasons, this policy was shelved.
A few cities began to step up environmental monitoring. An environmental monitoring network began to take shape. For example, in 1963, Qiqihar City’s Waste
Management Office, together with the Sanitation and Epidemic Prevention Station,
the Planning Division of the Urban Construction Bureau and other departments and
agencies of the city government, began to test water quality of drainage projects of
newly built, rebuilt and expanded factories and enterprise and strictly control the
use of various seepage wells. On this basis, in 1967, the Qiqihar Municipal Sewage
Treatment Office began to build a wastewater monitoring network, which consisted
of the downtown wastewater monitoring area, the southwest industrial wastewater
monitoring, and Fularji industrial wastewater monitoring area, with a total of 10
points for regular inspection and monitoring.
3 Awakening of Chinese people’s Environmental Awareness
and Accelerated Development of Environmental
Protection Administration (1970–July 1973)
Although the ultra-leftist ideology at the time denied that China had environmental
problems, the increasingly serious environmental problems in reality and the health
hazards and economic losses caused by these problems had attracted the attention of
then Premier Zhou Enlai. On June 26, 1970, when Zhou Enlai met with the representative of the Military Management Commission of the Ministry of Health, he
pointed out: “The health system must focus on health concerns, especially health
hazards of air and water pollution.” Concerning industrial pollution problems in the
United States, Japan and other countries, he pointed out: “Chairman Mao emphasized
preventing pollution, including air and water pollution, at its source. We must make
use of waste gas and wastewater. Capitalist countries did not solve the problem. We
socialist countries must solve the pollution problem.” Later, Zhou Enlai repeatedly
emphasized the need to pay attention to environmental issues. It is estimated that,
from 1970 to 1973 (before the first National Environmental Protection Conference),
L. Zhang
more clearly expressed. As mentioned above, in 1957, a circular issued by
Nanjing City already proposed the preliminary idea of the “three simultaneous”
system. On this basis, in December 1965, the Municipal Planning Commission,
the Urban Construction Department, and the Health Department of Nanjing
City jointly reported to the Nanjing Municipal People’s Committee: “The
waste treatment facilities of new, expansion and rebuilding projects should
be designed and constructed simultaneously with the main part of the projects.
The design documents shall be submitted to the waste management department, which, together with health, public security and labor departments will
give opinions and sign the design documents. Urban development, design, and
construction departments should supervise this process.” Obviously, the logic
behind the “three simultaneous” system was already very clear. However, due
to various reasons, this policy was shelved.
A few cities began to step up environmental monitoring. An environmental monitoring network began to take shape. For example, in 1963, Qiqihar City’s Waste
Management Office, together with the Sanitation and Epidemic Prevention Station,
the Planning Division of the Urban Construction Bureau and other departments and
agencies of the city government, began to test water quality of drainage projects of
newly built, rebuilt and expanded factories and enterprise and strictly control the
use of various seepage wells. On this basis, in 1967, the Qiqihar Municipal Sewage
Treatment Office began to build a wastewater monitoring network, which consisted
of the downtown wastewater monitoring area, the southwest industrial wastewater
monitoring, and Fularji industrial wastewater monitoring area, with a total of 10
points for regular inspection and monitoring.
3 Awakening of Chinese people’s Environmental Awareness
and Accelerated Development of Environmental
Protection Administration (1970–July 1973)
Although the ultra-leftist ideology at the time denied that China had environmental
problems, the increasingly serious environmental problems in reality and the health
hazards and economic losses caused by these problems had attracted the attention of
then Premier Zhou Enlai. On June 26, 1970, when Zhou Enlai met with the representative of the Military Management Commission of the Ministry of Health, he
pointed out: “The health system must focus on health concerns, especially health
hazards of air and water pollution.” Concerning industrial pollution problems in the
United States, Japan and other countries, he pointed out: “Chairman Mao emphasized
preventing pollution, including air and water pollution, at its source. We must make
use of waste gas and wastewater. Capitalist countries did not solve the problem. We
socialist countries must solve the pollution problem.” Later, Zhou Enlai repeatedly
emphasized the need to pay attention to environmental issues. It is estimated that,
from 1970 to 1973 (before the first National Environmental Protection Conference),