Technical Guideline for Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction Project - General Programme- (Exposure Draft on Revision) Preparation Explanation
1 Project background
1.1 Task source
The Technical Guideline for Environmental Impact Assessment - General Programme (HJ/T2.1-93) (referred to as the "General Programme") was approved by the former State Environmental Protection Bureau in September 1993 and issued for the first time, which specified the general principles, methods, contents and requirements of environmental impact assessment of construction projects, and was revised for the first time in September 2011. After the revision of the Environmental Protection Law in 2015, in order to better adapt to the needs of the situation, the General Programme was revised for the second time in December 2016 to shift the focus of environmental impact assessment to the implementation of environmental impact and environmental protection measures, thereby promoting the optimization of environmental impact assessment (EIA) content. At the same time, during the 13th Five Year Plan period, it played an important role in serving the reform of the environmental impact assessment system, standardizing and guiding the environmental impact assessment work of construction projects, and promoting the prevention of environmental pollution and ecological damage at the source.
With the construction of ecological civilization entering a new stage, in order to implement the new requirements of synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions, promote the reform of government functions in EIA and solve new problems in practice, the contents of the General Programme need to be revised and improved urgently. In 2021, the Notice on Implementing the National Ecological Environment Standard Project in 2021 (HUAN BAN FA GUI [2021] No. 312) included the revision of the General Programme in the plan. This revision is under the jurisdiction and management of the Environmental Impact Assessment and Emission Management Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (referred to as the "EIA Department"), and the Environmental Engineering Assessment Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (referred to as the "Assessment Center") is responsible for the specific revision tasks.
1.2 Preparation process
In March, 2021, the Assessment Center organized the establishment of a working group for revising and preparing guidelines (referred to as the "Preparation Group"). The Preparation Group conducted research on laws and regulations, EIA reform management documents and relevant technical standards in recent years, considered related issues of the Minister's mailbox and investigated the issues and suggestions of ecological and environmental departments, construction units, and environmental impact assessment institutions in various regions regarding the General Programme, so as to prepare the initial draft of the proposal demonstration report.
From April to September, 2021, the Preparation Group tracked the relevant standards both in China and abroad, and solicited suggestions for revising the General Programme from EIA agencies. Moreover, it organized expert consultation meetings to improve the proposal demonstration report.
On December 8, 2021, it passed the standard opening demonstration meeting organized by the EIA Department.
From February to March, 2022, in-depth on-site investigation and discussion of EIA agencies were carried out to understand the problems in practical application of the General Programme and the key points in revision.
From April to September, 2022, combined with the example of environmental impact assessment of construction projects, special studies were carried out, such as the linkage between environmental impact assessment and pollutant discharge permit, the inclusion of greenhouse gases in environmental impact assessment and pilot projects, the connection between construction projects and ecological environment zoning control requirements, the screening of assessment factors, and the linkage between planning and environmental impact assessment of construction projects. Combined with the latest requirements of the Implementation Plan for Environmental Impact Assessment and Pollutant Discharge Permit in the 14th Five-Year Plan, the revision ideas of the guidelines were further summarized, resulting in the first draft of exposure draft and preparation explanation.
From October to December, 2022, the Preparation Group organized some provincial ecological and environmental authorities and EIA agencies to hold a symposium on the revision of the General Programme, and put forward opinions on the first draft of exposure draft. In addition, it invited industry experts to hold a symposium on source intensity accounting of pollution sources, and discussed in depth the revision of source strength accounting content in the General Programme in combination with actual cases of key industries.
On January 12, 2023, it passed the technical review meeting of the exposure draft organized by the EIA Department.
From February to March 2023, the Preparation Group conducted on-site research and discussions in Jiangsu, Sichuan, and other places to further solicit local opinions on the exposure draft.
2 Necessity analysis of standard revision
2.1 We should implement policy requirements, reflect linkage and coordination, and implement the new ecological and environmental protection requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly requires that we should speed up the green transformation of development mode, actively and steadily promote the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and promote the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, a series of documents, such as Further Fighting the Tough Battle of Pollution Prevention and Control, pointed out the direction for ecological environmental protection. In the field of ecological environmental protection, we should implement the new development concept, implement the general requirements of "reducing pollution and carbon emissions and expanding green growth", adhere to the principle of "precise, scientific and legal" pollution control, and adhere to the principles of conservation and protection, with priority for natural restoration. At the construction project level, we should fully consider new policy requirements in related fields such as marine ecological environment protection, greenhouse gas control, monitoring of river and sea discharge outlets, groundwater, agricultural non-point source pollution prevention and control.
Therefore, in the revision of the General Programme, it is necessary to implement the requirements of the critical battle against pollution prevention and control, promote the achievement of the "carbon peak & carbon neutrality" goals, and link basic information such as pollution sources and environmental impacts throughout the entire construction project implementation process. From the perspective of project EIA, it is necessary to do a good job in connection with other ecological environment supervision basic information, and serve the ecological environment management in the new development stage.
2.2 We should adapt to the development of the situation, comply with laws and regulations, and implement new requirements of laws and regulations related to ecological and environmental protection
Since the release and implementation of the 2016 edition of the General Programme, some important laws and regulations have been revised. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment was amended in 2018, canceling the qualification license of environmental impact assessment institutions, strengthening the main responsibility of construction organizations, and increasing penalties for violations of laws. The Regulations on the Administration of Construction Project Environmental Protection was revised in 2017, adding the clause of "no approval". The Yangtze River Protection Law and the Yellow River Protection Law put forward new requirements for strengthening the ecological environment protection of the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin and the access of construction projects in these basins. The Regulations on the Administration of Pollutant Discharge Permits provides a legal basis for the construction of a fixed pollution source supervision system with the pollutant discharge permit system as the core. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Pollution From Environmental Noise, Wetlands Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China, Regulation on Groundwater Management, etc. provide legal compliance for environmental access from the perspective of ecological environment elements.
1 Project background
1.1 Task source
1.2 Preparation process
2 Necessity analysis of standard revision
2.1 We should implement policy requirements, reflect linkage and coordination, and implement the new ecological and environmental protection requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council
2.2 We should adapt to the development of the situation, comply with laws and regulations, and implement new requirements of laws and regulations related to ecological and environmental protection
2.3 We should support management transformation, highlight science and objectivity, and implement the requirements for deepening the reform of government functions in the EIA field
2.4 We should strengthen service efficiency, solve practical problems, and adapt to the application needs under the situation of EIA reform
3 Relevant standards in China and abroad
3.1 Development status of research on relevant standards abroad
3.2 Development status of research on relevant standards in China
4 Basic principles and technical routes of standard revision
4.1 Basic principles of standard revision
4.2 Main ideas of standard revision
4.3 Technical route
5 Main revision contents of standard
5.1 Standard structural framework
5.2 Main revisions
6 Comparative analysis with similar guidelines/technical specifications
7 Suggestions on the implementation of standard
