In February an official with SEPA s air pollution control division said that nationwide a little over 90 percent of all polluting enterprises and about 85 percent of the key enterprises had met the standards. This was virtually identical to what SEPA reported in September, implying that SEPA had not yet accepted the eleventh-hour reports from the provinces. The official said SEPA would reassess the situation in June, when more complete data would be available. Reality Behind the Numbers How seriously to treat local certifications that enterprises have met emissions standards remains an open question. Local officials responsible for enforcing the two-targets policy are beholden to local leaders who, although cognizant of the political price of not meeting Central Government targets, may be more concerned about maintaining employment and economic growth.
Some local authorities depend on polluting enterprises for revenue.
Shenyang and Chongqing announced major plant closings in the fourth quarter with great fanfare. But most of the polluters ordered closed were small, backward enterprises that were losing money. Authorities displayed a general reluctance to shut down large, aging state-owned enterprises employing tens of thousands of workers. Another open question is whether enterprises that were ordered closed in late 2000 will quietly re-open now that the pressure is off. Most of these were small, unlicensed coalmines, smelters and coking furnaces.