Action plan

The inspection was launched in the wake of an action plan released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in August that ordered the cities to reduce concentrations of PM2.5－dangerous particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers that can enter the bloodstream via the lungs－by at least 15 percent between October and March.

In addition to checking the implementation of air pollution controls by local governments and assessing emissions' monitoring equipment at businesses, the inspectors have closed small plants that were responsible for high levels of emissions.

According to Liu Youbin, a ministry spokesman, inspectors have investigated conditions at 210,000 companies and discovered 36,000 violations of the regulations. The ministry has also supervised the handling of 20,000 serious violations.

Initially, about 9,000 companies were included in a list of heavily polluting businesses that were ordered to lower or suspend production during periods of heavy air pollution. The number has now risen to 50,000, and about 62,000 poorly-managed polluting enterprises have been closed or relocated, or have upgraded their equipment, Liu said at a news conference on Feb 27.

The inspection has effectively underlined the need to enforce the laws related to the environment, and in a bid to prevent local interests from undermining the inspections, none of the enforcement officers come from the cities they are inspecting, he added.

"The experience gained during the inspection has been highly instructive, and I believe the model could be promoted in other parts of the country during future efforts to enforce the environmental laws," he said.

At present, environmental law enforcement officers are allocated evenly across the country, instead of being concentrated in the areas that require the most stringent inspections and enforcement, according to a leading official.

"The areas with the highest levels of pollution require the biggest control efforts, so they should be allocated more high-level enforcement officers, but that isn't happening at the moment. However, the inspection has been a good attempt to optimize the allocation of law enforcement personnel," said Liu Bingjiang, head of air quality management at the ministry.

Recent research and analysis have found that even though they cover no more than 3 percent of the country's territory, the 28 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster discharge 10 percent of total emissions of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds, as well as 15 percent of nitric oxide and primary particulates. Coal burning, industrial production and vehicles are major contributors to PM2.5 in the region, according to the ministry.

"Previously, when the region was hit by heavy air pollution, many local governments ordered businesses to lower production, but their actions were based on an incomplete list of companies that produced the most pollution. Instead of taking the initiative to reduce emissions, many governments simply waited for strong winds to disperse pollutants," said Liu Bingjiang. He added that after spending three months combing through companies in the cluster the inspectors have drawn up a list of the 50,000 companies that cause the most pollution.