Contaminated Land Regime Under the Soil Contamination Law of China 2018

Zhao, Xiaobo

doi:10.1007/978-3-662-59557-2_4

Xiaobo Zhao²

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Abstract

This chapter discusses China’s contaminated land regime under the newly adopted nationwide contaminated land legislation—Soil Contamination Law of China 2018. It looks at the statutory definition of soil contamination under the law. It explores the features of institutional design and institutional controls of China’s contaminated land regime. It also examines the risk management and control , remediation of contaminated land, liability issues and financial mechanisms under the regime.

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Notes

1.
《国务院关于落实科学发展观加强环境保护的决定》[Decision of the State Council on the Implementation of the Scientific Outlook on Development and Strengthening Environmental Protection] (People’s Republic of China) State Council, Decree No [2005] 39, 3 December 2005.
2.
《中华人民共和国土壤污染防治法》[Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Soil Contamination 2018] (People’s Republic of China), Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Order No 8, 31 August 2018.
3.
For example, Luo et al. (2009); Zhao (2018).
4.
MEE (2018), at 4. Even though, soil has been defined in technical guides, e.g., Soil environmental quality Risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land (GB 15618-2018) in Sect. [3.1] defines ‘soil’ as a ‘complex of loose porous material layers and related natural geographic elements that are capable of growing plants on the surface of the land’.
5.
Soil Contamination Law 2018 , Article 5.
6.
Soil Contamination Law 2018 , Article 7, 8.
7.
Institutional controls have long been used in the US at Superfund sites (for more than 30 years). According to the US EPA , there are four general types of institutional controls, which include: (1) governmental controls (e.g., zoning restrictions, local ordinances); (2) proprietary controls (e.g., easements, restrictive covenants); (3) enforcement and permit tools (e.g., consent decrees, administrative orders such as building or excavation permits); and (4) informational tools (e.g., notices filed in the land records, advisories). See EPA (2004).
8.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 11 .
9.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 11 .
10.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 11 .
11.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 12, Para 1 .
12.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 12, Para 2 .
13.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Para 4, Article 12 .
14.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 13 .
15.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 32 .
16.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 14 .
17.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 14 .
18.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 16 .
19.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 17 .
20.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 80 .
21.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 81 .
22.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 82 .
23.
Administrative Measures for the Soil Environment of Contaminated Site (Trial) 2016, Article 6.
24.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 84 .
25.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 35 .
26.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 49 .
27.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 58 .
28.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 38 .
29.
Comparable practice can be found in other jurisdictions. For example, in the UK, the enforcing authority are empowered to carry out urgent remediation in circumstances where it considers that as necessary. The purpose of such provision is to prevent the occurrence of any serious harm, or serious pollution of controlled waters , to mitigate and control the imminent danger. Wolf and Stanley (2010), at 351.
30.
Some environmental laws should be referred to, for example, the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (2014 revision); Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes (People’s Republic of China) National People’s Congress , Order No 31, 29 December 2004 (2016 revision); Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China 1984 (2017 revision).
31.
Article 86, Soil Contamination Law 2018 .
32.
Article 41, Soil Contamination Law 2018 .
33.
Article 91, Soil Contamination Law 2018 .
34.
Article 44, Soil Contamination Law 2018 .
35.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 45, para 1 .
36.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 68 .
37.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 68, para 3.
38.
Measures for the Soil Environment of the Contaminated Sites (Trial) 2016, Article 10.
39.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 46 .
40.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 47 ; see also Measures for the Soil Environment of the Contaminated Sites (Trial) 2016 Article 10, para 2.
41.
Measures for the Soil Environment of the Contaminated Sites (Trial) 2016, Article 10, para 3.
42.
Measures for the Soil Environment of the Contaminated Sites (Trial) 2016, Article 10, para 4.
43.
Measures for the Soil Environment of the Contaminated Sites (Trial) 2016, Article 10, para 4.
44.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 52, para 1; Article 59, para 1.
45.
MEE (2018), at 94.
46.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 59, para 2 .
47.
See Soil Environmental Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Development Land (GB36600-2018), section [4.1].
48.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 36, para 2.
49.
Administrative Measures for the Soil Environment of Contaminated Site (Trial) 2016, Article 12.
50.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 52, para 2 .
51.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 59, para 1 .
52.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 37 .
53.
Administrative Measures for the Soil Environment of Contaminated Site (Trial) 2016, Article 17.
54.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 37 .
55.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 50 .
56.
The concept was first introduced in the 7th plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee , 2008. See also the Notice on Delimitation And Implementation of Special of Special Protection on Permanent Basic Farmlands, former Ministry of Land and Resources and Ministry of Agriculture, Decree No 10, 2016; the Regulation on the Protection of Basic Farmlands (2011 revision), State Council , Order No. 588, 8 January 2018. The Measures for the Administration of the Soil Environment of Agricultural Land (Trial) 2017, Article 16, 17.
57.
The Measures for the Administration of the Soil Environment of Agricultural Land (Trial) 2017, Article 16, 17.
58.
Measures for the Administration of the Soil Environment of Agricultural Land (Trial) 2017, Article 18.
59.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 53 .
60.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 54, para 1 .
61.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 54, para 2.
62.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 55 .
63.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 63 .
64.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 57, para 3 .
65.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 57, para 3 . The requirement of ‘including the ground water in the plan’ was not in the first and second drafts of the Soil Contamination Law 2018 . This change reflects the Chinese government’s strategic consideration of treating soil and ground water as a whole in the context of soil contamination prevention and control.
66.
In China, the State and Rural Collective Economic Organizations are share the ownership of the land. Article 2 of the Land Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China (2004 revision) states that the People’s Republic of China resorts to a public ownership of land. Land belongs to the State on behalf of the public at large and the Rural Collective Economic Organizations on behalf of the laboring masses.
67.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 57, para 4 .
68.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 57, para 4 .
69.
The Measures for the Administration of the Soil Environment of Agricultural Land (Trail) 2017, Article 19.
70.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 57, para 3 .
71.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 66, para 2 .
72.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 66, para 3.
73.
Environmental Protection Law, Article 58; Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 97.
74.
There are 13 Articles in total under Chapter 6 of the Soil Contamination Law 2018 ; Arts 85-95 are involving the imposition of administrative liability.
75.
《中华人民共和国刑法(1997)》[Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China (1997 revision)] (People’s Republic of China) National People’s Congress , 14 March 1997, Article 338.
76.
Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China (2017), Article 338.
77.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 85.
78.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 86.
79.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 90, para 2 .
80.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 96.
81.
《中华人民共和国侵权责任法》[The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China] (People’s Republic of China) National People’s Congress , Order No 21, 26 December 2009.
82.
The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 65.
83.
The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 65.
84.
The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 65.
85.
The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 67.
86.
The Tort Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 68.
87.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 69 .
88.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
89.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
90.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
91.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
92.
Ministry of Finance P.R.C, 《土壤污染防治专项资金管理办法》 [Measures for Soil Contamination Special Fund], Caijian [2016] Order No 601, August 1, 2016.
93.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
94.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 70 .
95.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 72 .
96.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 73 .
97.
Soil Contamination Law 2018, Article 74 .
98.
Fowler (2007).
99.
See MEE (2018). According to MEE, international experience has been referred all through the legislative process.

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School of Law and Justice, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
Xiaobo Zhao

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Zhao, X. (2019). Contaminated Land Regime Under the Soil Contamination Law of China 2018. In: Developing an Appropriate Contaminated Land Regime in China. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-59557-2_4

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-59557-2_4
Published: 28 August 2019
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-59556-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-59557-2
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