This Law aims to protect and improve the environment, prevent and control pollution and other public hazards, safeguard public health, enhance the construction of ecological civilization and promote sustainable economic and social development. This Law consists of 7 Chapters divided into 70 articles: General Provisions (I); Supervision and administration (II); Environment protection and improvement (III); Prevention and control of pollution and other public hazards (IV); Information disclosure and public participation (V); Legal liability (VI); Supplementary provisions (VII).
This Law sets environmental protection as a basic national policy. "Environment" refers to the total body of all natural elements and artificially transformed natural elements affecting human existence and development, which includes the atmosphere, water, seas, land, minerals, forests, grasslands, wetlands, wildlife, natural and human remains, nature reserves, historic sites and scenic spots, and urban and rural areas (Article 2). The competent authorities are entitled to(i)integrate environment protection into the economic and social plan; (ii) promote clean energy and resource recycling; (iii) set up standards for environment quality and the discharge of pollutants; (iv) establish and improve environmental monitoring and warning system; (v) examine environmental impact assessments and make public the environmental impact reports for social supervision; (vi)adopt total emission control system for key pollutants and pollution administrative permit system; (v) inspect polluting units; (vii) establish and improve ecological protection compensation mechanism. Inter-jurisdiction joint coordination mechanism for environmental pollution and ecological damage of key regions and river basins shall be established to implement unified planning, standards, monitoring, and prevention and control measures (Article 20). The State shall define ecological redlines for strict protection on key ecological functional zones, areas of sensitive and fragile ecological environment. In terms of protection of agricultural environment, appropriate measures shall be taken in order to strengthen the monitoring and early warning of agricultural pollution sources, promote integrated plant pest management, and prevent and control soil pollution, land desertification, salinization, impoverishment, rocky desertification, ground subsidence, soil erosion, water eutrophication, water depletion, etc. The Law further provides for obligation of key pollutant-discharging units and responsibilities of government bodies in respect of public access to environmental information.
For activities that cause environmental pollution, ecological damage and public interest harm, social organizations that meet specified conditions may file litigation to the people's courts.