Hebei province calls for better distribution of clean coal with low content of sulfur and forbids the use of crude coal with a view to cutting the emission of sulfur dioxide. It was announced in a circular jointly issued by the province's economic and trade commission, environmental administration and quality technical supervision bureau.

The pollution by sulfur dioxide is a major environmental headache for the province that is a major coal consumer. Eight cities in the province have been identified by the State Council as under the control of pollution by sulfur dioxide. They are required to emit sulfur dioxide 20% less than the 2000 level by the year of 2005.

The province set up a licensed clean coal distribution center in Shijiazhuang and Handan this year and there will be 11 such centers by October 1 of 2003. The coal run by these centers will contain less than 1% of sulfur and less than 2% of ash. All coal consumers will have to purchase coal from such licensed centers and fix desulfurization facilities.

The province's coal quality supervisory organs will check all these coal suppliers and their business license will be revoked if they supply coal with a content of sulfur exceeding 1% and fail to take steps to fix the sulfur. The environmental administrations will monitor the discharge of pollutants of coal-burning firms. If they find any firm that discharges sulfur dioxide in excess of the state-prescribed standards, they will take legal measures against them.

(www.cenews.com.cn September 23, 2002)