Weihai Environmental Protection: Improving Urban Infrastructure and Public Participation

1. KITAKYUSHU INITIATIVE NETWORK AND WEIHAI ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Sun Pingyi Vice Director, Weihai Environmental Protection Agency

2. 1, The Improvement of Weihai Opening to the Outside of the World • Weihai is a fledging city, located at the east tip of Shangdong Peninsula, covers a total area of 5,436 km2, with a population of 2.47 million. The central urban area covers 44 km2, with a population of 300,000. • In the last 15 years, the GDP of Weihai has taken an increase of 18.2% annually, developed urban area enlarged 2.4 times, urban population increased 5.6 times, at the same time, its comprehensive indexes of urban environment quality have been remain the first class in China

3. Weihai became: • the first “State Sanitary City” • China Excellent Tourist City • the State Garden City • Best Practice for the Improving Human Being’s Settlement by UN • The center city and all the three cities under its jurisdiction got the award of “China’s Model City on Environmental Protection”. • In 2003, got the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honorary Award.

4. March 2001, Weihai , attended the Seminar on Kitakyushu and Dalian Environmental Cooperation in Beijing. • November 2001, Weihai attend the First Meeting of Kitakyushu Initiative Network held in Kitakyushu. • March 2002, we invited the experts from IGES, SEPA, China, do some investigation in Weihai. • July 2002, Weihai Municipal Government cooperated with China Environmental Foundation and IGES, held the Seminar on Cities Competing for Global 500 in Weihai. • November 2002, Weihai attended the Kitakyushu Initiative Seminar on Public-Private partnership for Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment held in Beijing. • February 2003, Weihai attended the Kitakyushu Initiative Seminar on Urban Air Quality Management held in Bangkok, Thailand, • October 2002, Weihai gave a presentation about the cooperation with Japanese partners on environmental protection in the seminar on environmental cooperation held by China EPA and Japanese Embassy in Beijing

5. 2, The Improvement of Using Market Mechanism to Establish the Environmental Infrastructure • The financing of urban environmental infrastructure in Weihai has experienced from planning system to market system, but a little bit earlier than the nationwide. • 1982, Weihai constructed No. 1 sewage treatment plant,the investment and running cost came from the government revenue. • 1992, Weihai constructed No.2 sewage treatment plant. collect 700 yuan per ton for the construction. • 1994, Weihai collect 0.15 yuan for sewage treatment fee from enterprises. 2000, raised the fee to 0.40 for enterprises, 0.20 for residents.

6. 2001,Weihai use market mechanism constructed a medical solid waste incinerator. The government allocated a piece of land, invest 0.5million RMB for the equipment, issued a regulation to collect treatment fee from hospitals, 2 yuan per bed per day, let a joint stock company run it. The company will develop by themselves to meet the developed demand. • This spring, Weihai decided to use BOT method to relocate and expand No1 sewage treatment plant. The capacity sewage is 45,000T/d, total investment is about 65 million RMB, operation period is 24 years. • This year, Weihai established the Water Affairs Group, take the water supply and water drainage as one system, make the water supply and wastewater treatment plant as a enterprise, using market mechanism to manage them, improved the management efficiency very much.

7. 3, The Improvement of the Public Participation in Environmental Protection • According the theory, public participation in environment in China is protected by the law. But in practice, it is just starting. • open the environmental information. In 1995, Weihai began to publish the environmental quality once a year. In 2000, we publish the air quality daily. • Improve the environmental education. Establish Green School. • Pay much attention to solve the problems the public claimed. Established a hotline, 12369, provide 24 hours service. The mayor and the director of EPA talk to the public directly and regularly. • Let the public take part in the environmental decision-making, the EPA approve a project let the pubic approve it first. Policy establishment or change must has public hearing.

8. 4, The Progress of the Pilot Project in Weihai • Wendeng city is under the administration of Weihai municipal government. They need to construct the second phase of the plant. • There is a tannery and a monosodium glutamate plant, they are the main water pollution source for this region. They need to construct a wastewater plant. • They tend to establish a joint venture to construct the second phase of the sewage treatment plant. The two companies share the investment. Stakeholders jointly establish a treatment fee collection system, follow the international role, held a public biding, choose a best technology and company. • The challenges we are facing: conception change, law establishment, some technique problem

9. 5, Suggestions • organize some tour study. • held some workshops. • organize the experts do some visiting study. • search more donators to support this program. • the local government cooperation should be followed by the cooperation of enterprises.