Wuhan, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) — The Fourth Session of the 12th Hubei Provincial People's Congress, currently underway, adopted the "Regulations of Hubei Province on the Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") on Feb. 1. The "Regulations" will come into effect officially on Oct. 1, 2016. This marks the official promulgation of China's first local regulation on the prevention and control of soil pollution.

The Regulation covers general provisions, government responsibilities, prevention of soil pollution, control of soil pollution, remediation of contaminated soils, information disclosure and public participation, and legal liabilities. The Regulation explicitly stipulates that work on the prevention and control of soil pollution shall be incorporated into national economic and social development plans. Governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for the quality of the soil environment within their administrative jurisdictions and shall allocate funds for the prevention and control of soil pollution. During their terms of office, principal government officials who fail to fulfill their duties conscientiously or make rash decisions resulting in serious consequences and adverse impacts, or who abuse their authority to interfere with or obstruct environmental supervision and law enforcement, thereby causing deterioration of the soil environment within their jurisdictions, shall be held accountable for life in accordance with regulations.