Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China (2014 Revision)[Effective](2014)

Issuing authority:

Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress

Document Number: Order No. 9 of the President

Date issued:

04-24-2014

Effective date:

01-01-2015

Level of Authority:

Laws

Area of Law:

Environmental Protection

Order of the President of the People's Republic of China(No. 9)The Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, as revised and adopted at the 8th session of theStanding Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on April 24, 2014, ishereby issued, and shall come into force on January 1, 2015.
President of the People's Republic of China: Xi Jinping
April 24, 2014
Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China(Adopted at the 11th session of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on December 26,
1989, and revised at the 8th session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress on April 24,
2014)
Table of Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Supervision and Administration
Chapter III Environmental Protection and Improvement
Chapter IV Prevention and Control of Pollution and Other Public Nuisances
Chapter V Information Disclosure and Public Engagement
Chapter VI Legal Liability
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is developed for the purposes of protecting and improving environment, preventing and controlling
pollution and other public nuisances, safeguarding public health, promoting ecological civilization, and enhancing
sustainable economic and social development.

Article 2 For the purposes of this Law, environment means the entirety of all natural elements and artificially transformed
natural elements that affect the survival and development of human beings, including but not limited to air, water, seas,land, minerals, forests, grasslands, wetland, wildlife, natural and cultural relics, nature reserves, scenic spots, historicalsites, and urban and rural areas.
Article 3 This Law shall apply to the territory of the People's Republic of China, and other sea areas under the jurisdictionof the People's Republic of China.
Article 4 Protecting environment is a fundamental national policy of the state.
The state shall adopt economic and technological policies and measures conducive to economically and cyclically utilizing
resources, protecting and improving environment and enhancing the harmony between mankind and nature to coordinate
economic and social development with environmental protection.
Article 5 Environmental protection shall adhere to the principles of giving priority to protection, focusing on prevention,
conducting comprehensive treatment, engaging the general public, and enforcing accountability for damage.
Article 6 All entities and individuals shall have the obligation to protect environment.
The local people's governments at all levels shall be responsible for the environmental quality within their respective
administrative regions.
Enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses shall prevent and reduce environmental pollution and ecologicaldisruption, and assume liabilities for damage caused by them.
Citizens shall raise their awareness of environmental protection, adopt low-carbon and economical lifestyles, andconscientiously fulfill their obligation to protect environment.
Article 7 The state shall support scientific and technological research, development, and application for environmental
protection, encourage the development of environmental protection industries, promote the information technology
development for environmental protection, and increase the scientific and technological level of environmental protection.
Article 8 The people's governments at all levels shall provide more financial input in the protection and improvement ofenvironment and the prevention and control of pollution and other public nuisances, and increase the utilization efficiency
of financial funds.
Article 9 The people's governments at all levels shall strengthen the publicity and dissemination of information on
environmental protection, encourage basic-level self-governing organizations of the masses, social organizations, andenvironmental protection volunteers to conduct publicity of environmental protection laws and regulations andenvironmental protection knowledge, and create a favorable atmosphere for environmental protection.
Education administrative departments and schools shall include environmental protection knowledge in school education
to cultivate students' awareness of environmental protection.
News media shall publicize environmental protection laws and regulations and environmental protection knowledge, andoversee environment-related illegal acts.
Article 10 The environmental protection administrative department of the State Council shall generally supervise andadminister the national environmental protection work, while the environmental protection administrative departments of
the local people's governments at and above the county level shall generally supervise and administer the environmental
protection work within their respective administrative regions.

The relevant departments of the people's governments at and above the county level and the environmental protection
departments of the armed forces shall supervise and administer resource protection, pollution prevention and control, andother environmental protection work in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws.
Article 11 The people's governments shall reward outstanding entities and individuals in protecting and improving
environment.
Article 12 Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year.
Chapter II Supervision and Administration
Article 13 The people's governments at and above the county level shall include the environmental protection work in theirplans on national economic and social development.
The environmental protection administrative department of the State Council shall, in conjunction with the relevant
departments, develop a plan on national environmental protection in accordance with the plan on national economic andsocial development, and submit it to the State Council for approval, publication, and implementation.
The environmental protection administrative departments of the local people's governments at and above the county level
shall, in conjunction with the relevant departments, develop the plans on environmental protection for their respective
administrative regions in accordance with the requirements of the plan on national environmental protection, and submit
them to the people's governments at the same level for approval, publication, and implementation.
A plan on environmental protection shall include the objectives and tasks of and safeguards for ecological protection andpollution prevention and control, and be connected with the major function zoning plan, comprehensive plan on land use,
and urban and rural development plan, among others.
Article 14 In organizing the development of economic and technological policies, the relevant departments of the StateCouncil and the people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central
Government shall fully consider the environmental impact thereof, and hear the opinions of the relevant parties andexperts.
Article 15 The environmental protection administrative department of the State Council shall develop the national
environmental quality standards.
For matters not included in the national environmental quality standards, the people's governments of provinces,autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government may develop local environmental quality
standards; and for matters included in the national environmental quality standards, they may develop local environmental
quality standards higher than the national standards. Local environmental quality standards shall be submitted to theenvironmental protection administrative department of the State Council for recordation.
The state shall encourage research on environmental criteria.
Article 16 The environmental protection administrative department of the State Council shall develop the national pollutant
discharge standards in accordance with the national environmental quality standards and the national economic andtechnological conditions.
For matters not included in the national pollutant discharge standards, the people's governments of provinces,autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government may develop local pollutant discharge
standards; and for matters included in the national pollutant discharge standards, they may develop local pollutant

discharge standards higher than the national standards. Local pollutant discharge standards shall be submitted to theenvironmental protection administrative department of the State Council for recordation.
Article 17 The state shall establish and improve environmental monitoring rules. The environmental protection
administrative department of the State Council shall develop monitoring norms, organize a monitoring network in
conjunction with the relevant departments, develop a general plan on the distribution of national environmental quality
monitoring stations (points), establish a monitoring data sharing mechanism, and strengthen the administration ofenvironmental monitoring.
The distribution of various types of environmental quality monitoring stations (points) for the relevant industries or
specialties shall comply with the requirements of laws and regulations and the monitoring norms.
Monitoring institutions shall use monitoring equipment up to the national standards, and comply with the monitoring
norms. Monitoring institutions and the persons in charge thereof shall be responsible for the truth and accuracy ofmonitoring data.
Article 18 The people's governments at and above the provincial level shall organize the relevant departments orcommission specialized institutions to survey and assess the environmental condition, and establish an environmental
and resource carrying capacity monitoring and early warning mechanism.
Article 19 An environmental impact assessment shall be conducted as legally required in the preparation of a relevant
development and utilization plan or the construction of a project impacting the environment.
A development and utilization plan that has not undergone environmental impact assessment as legally required may not
be implemented. The construction of a construction project that has not undergone environmental impact assessment aslegally required may not be commenced.
Article 20 The state shall establish a coordination mechanism across administrative regions for the joint prevention andcontrol of environmental pollution and ecological disruption in key regions and valley areas, and apply a uniform plan,uniform standards, uniform monitoring, and uniform prevention and control measures.
The prevention and control of environmental pollution and ecological disruption across administrative regions other thanthat in the preceding paragraph shall be coordinated by the people's governments at higher levels, or resolved throughconsultations by the relevant local people's governments.
Article 21 The state shall adopt policies and measures in finance, taxation, price, and government procurement, among
others, to encourage and support the development of environmental protection industries such as technologicalequipment for environmental protection, comprehensive utilization of resources, and environmental services.
Article 22 The people's governments shall adopt policies and measures in finance, taxation, price, and government
procurement, among others, to encourage and support the further pollutant discharge reduction by enterprises, public
institutions, and other businesses after meeting the statutory requirements for the discharge of pollutants.
Article 23 The people's governments shall support the production changes, relocation, or closedown of enterprises, public
institutions, and other businesses for the purpose of improving environment in accordance with the relevant provisions.
Article 24 The environmental protection administrative departments of the people's governments at and above the county
level, the environmental supervision institutions authorized by them, and other departments with environmental protection
supervision and administration functions shall have the authority to conduct the on-site inspection of enterprises, publicinstitutions, and other businesses that discharge pollutants. Those under inspection shall honestly provide relevant
information and necessary materials. The departments or institutions conducting such inspection and the employees
thereof shall keep the trade secrets of those under inspection.
Article 25 Where the discharge of pollutants by enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses in violation of laws
and regulations has caused or may cause any serious pollution, the environmental protection administrative departmentsof the people's governments at and above the county level and other departments with environmental protection
supervision and administration functions may seize or impound the facilities or equipment causing the discharge ofpollutants.
Article 26 The state shall apply an objectives responsibility system and an evaluation and review system to environmental
protection. The people's governments at and above the county level shall include the achievement of environmental
protection objectives in the evaluation of their respective departments with environmental protection supervision andadministration functions and the persons in charge thereof as well as the people's governments at lower levels and thepersons in charge thereof, as an important basis for the evaluation and review of them. The evaluation results shall bemade available to the public.
Article 27 The people's governments at and above the county level shall report annually the environmental condition andthe achievement of environmental protection objectives to the people's congresses at the same level or the standing
committees thereof, and report in a timely manner the major environmental events to the standing committees of thepeople's congresses at the same level, to receive supervision according to the law.
Chapter III Environmental Protection and Improvement
Article 28 The local people's governments at all levels shall, according to environmental protection objectives andpollution control tasks, adopt effective measures to improve environmental quality.
The relevant local people's governments in key regions and valley areas that fail to reach the national environmental
quality standards shall develop plans on reaching such standards during a specified period, and adopt measures to reachsuch standards as scheduled.
Article 29 The state shall draw ecological red lines in key ecological function zones, ecological sensitive areas and fragile
areas, and other areas to apply strict protection.
The people's governments at all levels shall adopt measures to protect and prohibit any damage to the regions withvarious types of typical natural ecosystems, regions with a natural distribution of rare or endangered wild animals orplants, regions where major sources of water are conserved, natural relics such as geological structures of great scientificand cultural values, famous regions where karst caves or fossil deposits are distributed, glaciers, volcanoes, and hot
springs, cultural relics, and ancient and precious trees.
Article 30 In the development and utilization of natural resources, the development shall be rational to protect biologicaldiversity and ecological safety, and the relevant ecological protection and rehabilitation management plans shall be
developed and implemented according to the law.
In the introduction of alien species and the research, development, and utilization of biotechnologies, measures shall be
adopted to prevent any damage to biodiversity.

Article 31 The state shall establish and improve an ecological compensation mechanism.
The state shall increase financial transfer payments to ecological protection areas. The relevant local people's
governments shall oversee the use of ecological compensation funds to ensure that such funds are used for ecologicalcompensation purposes.
The state shall guide the people's governments of ecologically benefited areas and ecological protection areas in making
ecological compensation through consultations or under the market rules.
Article 32 The state shall strengthen the protection of air, water, and soil, among others, and establish and improve thecorresponding survey, monitoring, assessment, and remediation rules.
Article 33 The people's governments at all levels shall strengthen the protection of agricultural environment, promote theapplication of new technologies for protecting agricultural environment, strengthen the monitoring and early warning ofagricultural pollution sources, and coordinate the relevant departments in adopting measures to prevent and control soil
pollution, the desertification, alkalization, impoverishment and rocky desertification of land, land subsidence, vegetation
deterioration, water loss and soil erosion, eutrophication of water bodies, exhaustion of water sources, extinction of
species, and other ecological disturbances and promote the comprehensive prevention and control of plant diseases andinsect pests.
The people's governments at the county and village levels shall improve the public service level for environmental
protection in rural areas, and promote the comprehensive control and management of environment in rural areas.
Article 34 The State Council and the local people's governments at all levels in coastal areas shall strengthen theprotection of marine environment. The discharge of pollutants and the dumping of wastes into the sea or the constructionof coastal or marine engineering projects shall comply with laws and regulations and the relevant standards, and pollution
and damage to the marine environment shall be prevented or reduced.
Article 35 In urban and rural construction, the characteristics of the local natural environment shall be considered,vegetation, waters and natural landscapes shall be protected, and the construction and management of gardens, green
land, and scenic spots and historic sites in urban areas shall be strengthened.
Article 36 The state shall encourage and direct citizens, legal persons, and other organizations to use products andrecycled products conducive to protecting environment to reduce wastes.
Government agencies and other organizations using fiscal funds shall, when purchasing and using products, equipment
and facilities, give priority to those that are energy-saving, water-saving, material-saving or otherwise conducive toprotecting environment.
Article 37 The local people's governments at all levels shall take measures to organize the sorting and recycling ofdomestic wastes.
Article 38 Citizens shall abide by environmental protection laws and regulations, cooperate in the implementation ofenvironmental protection measures, and drop domestic wastes in waste separation bins as required to reduce damage toenvironment in daily lives.
Article 39 The state shall establish and improve the environment and health monitoring, survey and risk assessment
rules, encourage and organize research on the impact of environmental quality on public health, and adopt measures toprevent and control diseases related to environmental pollution.

Chapter IV Prevention and Control of Pollution and Other Public Nuisances
Article 40 The state shall promote cleaner production and resource recycling.
The relevant departments of the State Council and the local people's governments at all levels shall adopt measures topromote the production and use of clean energy.
Enterprises shall give priority to the use of clean energy, and adopt techniques and equipment with higher resource
utilization ratios and less pollutant discharges, technologies for the comprehensive utilization of wastes, and technologies
for the decontamination of pollutants to reduce pollutants.
Article 41 The pollution prevention and control installations included in a construction project shall be designed,
constructed and put to use simultaneously with the body of the construction project. Such installations shall satisfy therequirements of the approved environmental impact assessment document, and may not be dismantled or left unused
without permission.
Article 42 Enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses that discharge pollutants shall adopt measures to preventand control pollution and damage to environment caused by waste gas, waste water, waste residue, medical wastes,
dust, malodorous gases, radioactive substances, noise, vibration, optical radiation, electromagnetic radiation, and othersubstances generated in their production, construction, and other activities.
Enterprises and public institutions that discharge pollutants shall establish accountability rules for environmental
protection to specify the duties and responsibilities of persons in charge of them and other relevant persons.
Pollutant discharging entities under intensified supervision shall install and use monitoring equipment in accordance withthe relevant provisions of the state and the monitoring norms, ensure the normal functioning of monitoring equipment, andpreserve the original monitoring records.
It shall be prohibited to illegally discharge pollutants by installing underground pipelines, using seepage wells or pits,
conducting perfusion, or altering or forging monitoring data, through the abnormal operation of pollution prevention andcontrol installations, or by other means to avoid supervision.
Article 43 Enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses that discharge pollutants shall pay pollutant discharge
fees in accordance with the relevant provisions of the state. Pollutant discharge fees shall be all used for the prevention
and control of environmental pollution. No entity or individual may withhold such funds or use such funds for similar orother purposes.
No pollutant discharge fees shall be levied if environmental pollution tax has been levied according to the law.
Article 44 The state shall apply a total discharge volume control system to key pollutants. The State Council shall assign
the total discharge volume control indicators of key pollutants to the people's governments of provinces, autonomous
regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government for further breakdown and implementation. When
implementing the national and local pollutant discharge standards, enterprises and public institutions shall comply with thetotal discharge volume control indicators of key pollutants further assigned to them.
For areas which exceed the state's total discharge volume control indicators of key pollutants or fail to achieve theenvironmental quality objectives determined by the state, the environmental protection administrative departments of thepeople's governments at and above the provincial level shall suspend the procedures for approving the environmental
impact assessment documents on construction projects in such areas that will increase the total discharge volume of key
pollutants.

Article 45 The state shall, according to the law, apply a licensing system to the discharge of pollutants.
Enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses subject to pollutant discharge licensing management shall discharge
pollutants according to the requirements of their respective pollutant discharge licenses; and those without a pollutant
discharge license may not discharge pollutants.
Article 46 The state shall apply an elimination system to techniques, equipment, and products that cause serious
environmental pollution. No entity or individual may produce, sell, transfer, or use techniques, equipment, or products thatcause serious environmental pollution.
It shall be prohibited to introduce any technology, equipment, material, or product that fails to comply with theenvironmental protection provisions of China.
Article 47 The people's governments at all levels, the relevant departments thereof, enterprises, and public institutions
shall effectively conduct the risk control, preparedness, response, rehabilitation, and other work on environmental
emergencies, in accordance with the Emergency Response Law of the People's Republic of China.
The people's governments at and above the county level shall establish public monitoring and early warning mechanisms
for environmental pollution, organize the development of early warning plans, and, when any environmental pollution may
endanger public health and environmental safety, release early warning information and activate emergency response
measures in a timely manner according to the law.
Enterprises and public institutions shall prepare emergency response plans for environmental emergencies in accordancewith the relevant provisions of the state, and submit them to the environmental protection administrative departments andother relevant departments for recordation. Where any environment emergency occurs or may occur, an enterprise or
public institution shall immediately take response measures, notify in a timely manner the entities and citizens to which
any harm may be caused, and report to the environmental protection administrative department and other relevant
departments.
After the end of the emergency response to an environmental emergency, the relevant people's government shallimmediately organize an assessment on the environmental impact of and the losses caused by the event, and disclose
the assessment results to the public in a timely manner.
Article 48 The production, storage, transportation, sale, use, and disposal of chemicals and materials containing
radioactive substances must comply with the relevant provisions of the state to prevent environmental pollution.
Article 49 The people's governments at all levels and the agricultural and other relevant departments and institutions
thereof shall guide agricultural businesses in plant and animal farming in a scientific manner, apply pesticides, chemicalfertilizers and other agricultural inputs in a rational and scientific manner, and dispose of agricultural films, agricultural
straws and other agricultural wastes in a scientific manner to prevent agricultural non-point source pollution.
It shall be prohibited to apply any solid wastes or waste water in noncompliance with agricultural standards orenvironmental protection standards to farmland. In the application of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and other agricultural
inputs or irrigation, measures shall be taken to prevent environmental pollution caused by heavy metals and other toxic
and harmful substances.
The site selection, construction, and management of farms, breeding areas, and designated slaughter enterprises of
livestock and poultry shall comply with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations. Entities and individuals engaging inlivestock and poultry breeding or slaughter shall take measures to dispose of livestock and poultry manure and corpses,sewage, and other wastes in a scientific manner to prevent environmental pollution.

The people's governments at the county level shall be responsible for organizing the disposal of domestic wastes in rural
areas.
Article 50 The people's governments at all levels shall arrange funds in their fiscal budgets for supporting the protection ofdrinking water sources, the treatment of domestic sewage and other wastes, the prevention and control of pollution fromlivestock and poultry breeding and slaughter, the prevention and control of soil pollution, the control of pollution fromindustrial and mining activities, and other environmental protection work in rural areas.
Article 51 The people's governments at all levels shall make overall plans on the construction of sewage treatment
facilities and related pipeline networks, environmental sanitation facilities for the collection, transportation, and disposal,
among others, of solid wastes, facilities and sites for the centralized disposal of dangerous wastes, and other public
facilities for environmental protection in urban and rural areas, and ensure their normal functioning.
Article 52 The state shall encourage the purchase of environmental pollution liability insurance.
Chapter V Information Disclosure and Public Engagement
Article 53 Citizens, legal persons, and other organizations shall, according to the law, have the rights to obtainenvironmental information and participate in and oversee environmental protection.
The environmental protection administrative departments and other departments with environmental protection
supervision and administration functions of the people's governments at all levels shall, according to the law, disclose
environmental information, and improve the procedures for public engagement, to facilitate the participation in andoversight of environmental protection by citizens, legal persons, and other organizations.
Article 54 The environmental protection administrative department of the State Council shall release information on
environmental quality and the monitoring of key pollution sources and other significant environmental information of thestate in a unified way. The environmental protection administrative departments of the people's governments at andabove the provincial level shall periodically release reports on the state of environment.
The environmental protection administrative departments and other departments with environmental protection
supervision and administration functions of the people's governments at and above the county level shall, according to
the law, disclose information on environmental quality, environmental monitoring, environmental emergencies,
environmental administrative licensing, environmental administrative punishment, and collection and use of pollutant
discharge fees, among others.
The environmental protection administrative departments and other departments with environmental protection
supervision and administration functions of the local people's governments at and above the county level shall record theenvironmental violations of law by enterprises, public institutions, and other businesses in their social integrity files, anddisclose the names of violators to the public in a timely manner.
Article 55 Pollutant discharging entities under intensified supervision shall honestly disclose to the public the names of
their major pollutants, the discharge methods, the concentration and total volume of pollutants discharged, any discharge
beyond the approved quota, and the construction and operation of pollution prevention and control installations to receive
supervision from the general public.
Article 56 For a construction project for which an environmental impact report is required by the law, when preparing sucha report, the construction employer shall provide an explanation to the public that may be affected, and fully solicit theiropinions.
After receiving the environmental impact report for a construction project, the department approving the environmental
impact assessment documents for construction projects shall disclose the full text of the report, except the part involving
any state secret or trade secret; and if it discovers that public opinions have not been fully solicited regarding the project,
the department shall order the construction employer to solicit public opinions.
Article 57 Citizens, legal persons, and other organizations that discover any environmental pollution or ecological damage
caused by any entity or individual shall have the right to report to environmental protection administrative departments orother departments with environmental protection supervision and administration functions.
Citizens, legal persons, and other organizations that discover any failure of the local people's governments at any level orthe environmental protection administrative departments or other departments with environmental protection supervision
and administration functions of the people's governments at and above the county level to legally perform their duties
shall have the right to report to the authorities at higher levels or the supervisory authorities.
The authorities receiving such reports shall keep confidential the relevant information on whistleblowers, and protect thelawful rights and interests of whistleblowers.
Article 58 For an act polluting environment or causing ecological damage in violation of public interest, a socialorganization which satisfies the following conditions may institute an action in a people's court:(1) It has been legally registered with the civil affairs department of the people's government at or above the level of a
districted city.
(2) It has specially engaged in environmental protection for the public good for five consecutive years or more without any
recorded violation of law.
A people's court shall, according to the law, accept an action instituted by a social organization that satisfies the provisionof the preceding paragraph.
A social organization may not seek any economic benefit from an action instituted by it.
Chapter VI Legal Liability
Article 59 Where any enterprise, public institution, or other business is fined and ordered to make correction for illegallydischarging pollutants but refuses to make correction, the administrative agency legally making the punishment decision
may impose continuous fines on it in the amount of the original fine for each day from the next day after it is ordered tomake correction.
The fine punishment as mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall be determined on the basis of factors such as theoperation costs of pollution prevention and control installations, the direct losses caused by the illegal act and the illegal
income as provided for by the relevant laws and regulations.
Based on the actual needs for environmental protection, the types of illegal acts subject to continuous daily fines asmentioned in the first paragraph hereof may be increased in local regulations.
Article 60 Where any enterprise, public institution, or other business discharges pollutants beyond the pollutant discharge
standards or the total discharge volume control indicators of key pollutants, the environmental protection administrative
department of the local people's government at or above the county level may order it to adopt measures such as
restricting production or suspending business for rectification; and if the circumstances are serious, order it to terminate
business or close down with the approval of the people's government with such approval power.

Article 61 Where any construction employer fails to submit the environmental impact assessment documents for its
construction project according to the law or commences construction without permission before the environmental impact
assessment documents are approved, the department with environmental protection supervision and administration
functions shall order it to cease construction, and impose a fine on it, and may order restoration to the original state.
Article 62 Where, in violation of this Law, any pollutant discharging entity under intensified supervision fails to disclose orhonestly disclose environmental information, the environmental protection administrative department of the local people's
government at or above the county level shall order it to disclose the information, impose a fine on it, and issue a publicannouncement of the punishment.
Article 63 Where any enterprise, public institution, or other business commits any of the following acts, if no crime isconstituted, in addition to imposing punishment in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations, theenvironmental protection administrative department or any other relevant department of the people's government at or
above the county level shall transfer the case to the public security authority, which shall detain the directly liable person
in charge and other directly liable persons for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days; or, if the circumstances
are relatively minor, for not less than 5 days but not more than 10 days:(1) It refuses to comply with an order requiring it to cease construction of a construction project which has not undergone
environmental impact assessment as leally required.
(2) It refuses to comply with an order requiring it to cease discharge of pollutants for its illegal discharge of pollutants
without a pollutant discharge license.
(3) It illegally discharges pollutants by installing underground pipelines, using seepage wells or pits, conducting perfusion,or altering or forging monitoring data, through the abnormal operation of pollution prevention and control installations, orby other means to avoid supervision.
(4) It refuses to comply with an order requiring it to make correction for its production or use of pesticides which havebeen expressly prohibited by the state from production or use.
Article 64 Where any damage is caused by environmental pollution or ecological disruption, the tortfeasor shall assume
tort liability in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Tort Law of the People's Republic of China.
Article 65 Where any environmental impact assessment institution, environmental monitoring institution, or institution
engaging in the maintenance or operation of environmental monitoring equipment and pollution prevention and control
installations makes falsification in the provision of relevant environmental services and is liable for the environmental
pollution or ecological disruption caused, it shall assume joint and several liability with other parties liable for theenvironmental pollution or ecological disruption, in addition to punishment in accordance with the provisions of relevantlaws and regulations.
Article 66 The time limitation for instituting an environmental action for damages shall be three years, starting from thetime when a party knows or should have known the harm caused to the party.
Article 67 The people's governments at higher levels and the environmental protection administrative departments thereof
shall strengthen supervision over the environmental protection work of the people's governments at lower levels and therelevant departments thereof, and, if they discover that any employees have committed any illegal acts for which

disciplinary actions shall be taken according to the law, recommend disciplinary actions to the appointment and removal
authorities or supervisory authorities for such employees.
Where the relevant environmental protection administrative department fails to impose administrative punishment asotherwise legally required, the environmental protection administrative department of the people's government at a higher
level may directly make a decision to impose administrative punishment.
Article 68 Where a local people's government at any level or the environmental protection administrative department or
any other department with environmental protection supervision and administration functions of a people's government at
or above the county level commits any of the following acts, the directly liable person in charge and other directly liable
persons shall be subject to a demerit, a major demerit, or demotion; and if the consequences are serious, they shall be
removed from office or expelled, and the primary person in charge thereof shall resign to assume the responsibility for theact:(1) Granting any administrative license despite that the conditions for granting the administrative license are not satisfied.
(2) Harboring any environment-related illegal acts.
(3) Failing to make a decision to order cessation of business or closedown as otherwise legally required.
(4) Failing to investigate any discharge of pollutants beyond the prescribed standards, discharge of pollutants by means
to avoid supervision, environmental accident, or ecological disruption caused by a failure to implement ecologicalprotection measures and impose punishment in a timely manner, after discovering or receiving a report on it.
(5) Seizing or impounding any facility or equipment of any enterprise, public institution, or other business in violation ofthis Law.
(6) Altering or forging monitoring data or instigating others to do so.
(7) Failing to disclose environmental information as otherwise legally required.
(8) Withholding or using for similar or other purposes the pollutant discharge fees collected.
(9) Other illegal acts as specified by laws and regulations.
Article 69 Whoever is suspected of a crime for violating this Law shall be subject to criminal liability according to the law.
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Article 70 This Law shall come into force on January 1, 2015.

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