Over 80% Lead Battery Enterprises Closed Down or Suspended Operation

It is reported that by July 31st, a total of 1930 enterprises engaged in the production, assembly and recycling (secondary lead) of lead battery products across the nation have received investigation. Wherein, 583 were outlawed and closed down, 405 were suspended for rectification, 610 were suspended from operation; 252 enterprises were in active production, 80 were under construction.

A total of 1598 enterprises were outlawed and closed down, suspended for rectification or suspended from operation, accounting for 83%of all the enterprises under investigation.

Among the 1930 enterprises, 639 are engaged in processing and production of battery electrode plate, 1105 are solely engaged in assembly, 186 are engaged in recycling. Among the 252 enterprises in active production, 121 are engaged in electrode plate processing and production, 108 are solely engaged in assembly,and 23 are recycling enterprises.

In March 2011, 9 ministries and commissions,including the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the National Commission of Development and Reform, jointly printed and issued “Notice on Special Campaign for Environmental Protection to Deepen Rectification of Illegal Waste-discharging Enterprises to

Safeguard Public Health in 2011” (HF [2011]No.41), which regarded the rectification of lead battery enterprises as the primary task in 2011 environmental protection special campaign,and demanded to make thorough investigation of enterprises in the lead battery industry, fully rectify environment-related law breaching issues, and publish the list of all lead battery enterprises (processing, assembly and recycling)within their respective jurisdictions before the end of July 2011, so as to facilitate supervision by the society.

Judging from the results of recent joint supervision by the 9 ministries and commissions,among the regional lead battery enterprises,there still exist widespread problems such as chaotic planning deployment, too small enterprise size, low technological standard, incomplete facilities for pollution prevention and treatment, and poor enterprise management standard, some regions hardly realized the importance of lead battery rectification work, the efforts of their rectification work still needs to be intensified.

During the investigation process, it was discovered that Shandong Taian Desheng Battery Co.,Ltd, Shandong Laizhou Jiafeng Electroplating Co., Ltd failed to implement the production suspension and rectification requirement imposed by local environmental protection departments, and arbitrarily resumed production;Jiangsu Changzhou Ricun Battery Technology Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Kunshan Gangkun Shuanglong Battery Co., Ltd, Guangxi Hechi Xinfeng Battery Co., Ltd had incomplete or out-of-order facilities for collection and treatment of pollutants; Guangdong Shaoguan Qujiang Hongji Power Supply Technology Co., Ltd, and Guangxi Yizhou Hecheng Industrial Co., Ltd had not fully resolved their violation of regulations on environmental protection administration for construction projects. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has instructed relevant environmental protection departments to investigate the cases according to law.The Ministry of Environmental Protection indicated that all regional authorities must further strengthen environment supervision of lead battery enterprises in various categories. For those already being issued closing-down decision or those reaching decision of voluntary closedown, it is required to urge the enterprises to properly handle follow-up environment rectification work, remove production equipment,and properly dispose of hazardous wastes; for those which have voluntarily suspended production or are instructed to suspend production for rectification, it is required to draft acceptance procedures and criteria strictly according to rectification requirements, and ensure stringent enforcement, suspended enterprises without passing acceptance cannot arbitrarily resume production; for those instructed to make rectification, if they fail to finish rectification task after deadline, it is necessary to report to local people’s government to demand closedown; for those enterprises still in normal production, they are required to join force with local occupation health supervision departments, strengthen supervision on facilities for collection and treatment of lead fume, and lead dust, strengthen inspection on facilities for treatment of lead-containing waste water, urge enterprises to carry out daily monitoring, in order to ensure up-to-standard emission of pollutants; for enterprises still under construction,it is required to urge these enterprises to fully implement “Three Simultaneous” system for environmental protection, those which cannot reach standard requirements will not be approved for trial production.