Citing an ongoing failure to rein in aluminium overproduction and the associated use of coal to fire said production, the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment eviscerated local officials in Shandong province for their ongoing failure to enforce environmental policies designed to battle the country’s continuing air-quality problems.

Shandong is the home of the lion’s share of China’s aluminium production, making it ground zero for Beijing’s efforts at scaling back the country’s massive smog problem. However, despite setting air-quality targets for seven of the province’s cities last winter, only one city met the target set for it.

In addition to failing to meet guidelines, Beijing officials say their counterparts in the provincial and local governments actively thwarted efforts at cleaning up production via deception and cover-up. Despite receiving orders to limit the province’s total aluminium production to 4 million metric tons two years ago, Beijing says the Shandong government’s “choices” and “adaptations” of national policy mandates led to runaway capacity, ultimately topping out at over three times the mandated production limit.

Leer Más…