The city, not well developed economically, was commended several years ago by SEPA for its disposal with market means of coal ash and iron sulfide ore residue for fairly high economic returns as a Nantong pattern.

The city introduced a series of market-oriented policies for pollution control and attracted many investors in the construction of its infrastructure. The market means have helped transform the investment pattern in the infrastructure of pollution control from sole government responsibility to operations of market forces. The Rugao city under Nantong raised 160 million yuan by activating its real estate reserve assets and distributing its resources in an effective way and invested the money in treating its stinking river system. Early last March, the city adopted the BOT means to build its centralized sewage disposal plant, the first effort of the kind in the province. The Tongyuan Environmental Protection Co. provided the investment without the government spending a cent.

Since 2001, Nantong has carried out a series of studies to control the total amount of pollutants emitted and conducted the first ever trade in the right to emit sulfur dioxide. The Nantong Tianshenggang Power Co. sold its right to emit 1800-ton sulfur dioxide to Nantong Acetic Acid Fiber Co. for 500,000 yuan. The city has also conducted studies in water pollutant emission rights trading, the first ever effort of the kind in the province. It has been listed as a trial city in the trade by the province.

(www.cenews.com.cn August 5, 2002)