The National Development and Reform Commission held a special meeting to advance the crackdown on illegal riverbank wharves and illegal sand mining along rivers.

To further advance the Yangtze River Economic Belt development strategy, promote the efficient utilization of shoreline resources along the Yangtze River, and ensure the safety of navigation and ecological sustainability of the Yangtze River, the National Development and Reform Commission recently convened in Beijing a special meeting on the targeted rectification of illegal docks and illegal sand mining along the river.

Hu Zucai, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, emphasized that accelerating the remediation of illegal riverfront docks and illegal sand mining along the Yangtze River is a concrete action to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s guiding principles on the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt—namely, prioritizing ecological conservation and green development, jointly promoting large-scale protection rather than large-scale development—and is an important step in fully implementing the Outline for the Development Plan of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Deputy Director Hu Zucai fully affirmed the achievements made by various regions in the previous phase of the special rectification campaign targeting illegal riverbank wharves and illegal sand mining along the Yangtze River, and put forward three points of advice:

First, acknowledge achievements, face problems squarely, and enhance our sense of responsibility and urgency.

Second, clearly define the tasks, rigorously ensure implementation, and steadily and thoroughly advance the special rectification efforts.

Third, we must strengthen organizational efforts and enforce strict accountability to ensure that the special rectification campaign achieves tangible results. At the same time, we call on all localities to ensure that their awareness of the importance of this work is fully in place, their sense of responsibility is clearly defined, their supervision and inspection are thorough, their remedial measures are effective, and their publicity and guidance are robust. Only then can we truly enhance our sense of responsibility and proactiveness in this effort and restore greenery to both banks of the Yangtze River.

List of Illegal Piers

There are a total of 1,256 illegal wharves along the main channel of the Yangtze River, including 31 in Sichuan, 103 in Chongqing, 657 in Hubei, 39 in Hunan, 63 in Jiangxi, 245 in Anhui, and 118 in Jiangsu. Yunnan Province and Shanghai do not have any illegal wharves.

Illegal Wharf Rectification Campaign

Hubei Province has 657 illegal docks that are subject to rectification. According to the requirements, of the 367 docks designated for "closure," all have been completely demolished; of the 290 docks slated for "standardization and upgrading," 96 have already been completed, while the remaining 194 are currently under progress.

The illegal riverfront wharves in Jiangsu Province are mainly located along the Yangtze River in areas such as Nantong, Nanjing, and Zhenjiang. These wharves primarily engage in the handling of sand, gravel, and construction materials. There are a total of 118 such wharves. Originally, the plan was to demolish 89 wharves and upgrade and standardize 29. However, following the provincial video and teleconference held on April 10, the plan was adjusted to demolish 112 wharves and upgrade and standardize 6. As of now, Jiangsu Province has demolished 111 illegal wharves and completed the upgrading and standardization of 6, accounting for a total of 99.2% of the original number.

Jiangsu Province is carrying out a cleanup campaign to eliminate waterborne transshipment operations along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River, and all such operations along this stretch will be completely banned by the end of 2020.

Recently, the General Office of the Jiangsu Provincial Government issued a special rectification plan for waterborne transshipment operations along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River. The plan requires, while meeting market demand, accelerating the phasing out of excess production capacity and gradually abolishing waterborne transshipment operations on the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River. The plan specifies that by the end of July 2017, transshipment operations within the secondary protection zones of drinking water sources along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River must be abolished; by the end of December 2017, the standardized construction of temporary waterborne transshipment markets must be completed; and before the end of 2020, all waterborne transshipment operations along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River must be completely banned in accordance with relevant national regulations.

According to the plan, by May 25 this year, a preliminary assessment and report shall be submitted; by May 31, temporary waterborne transshipment operation zones shall be designated and implementation plans formulated; by June 15, a notice on remediation shall be issued; by June 30, the entities responsible for managing and operating the temporary waterborne transshipment zones and the qualification requirements for access to such operations shall be clearly defined; by October 31, safety facilities for the temporary waterborne transshipment zones shall be set up; by December 20, the cleanup and remediation of waterborne transshipment operations shall be completed, with ongoing enforcement against illegal waterborne transshipment activities; and before the end of 2020, construction of dedicated piers for the transitional period shall be strengthened.

The plan clearly stipulates that the entity responsible for the operation and management of temporary waterborne transfer operation zones shall be a state-owned enterprise with port operation qualifications; it must have management personnel and specialized technical staff commensurate with the scale and scope of its operations; it must possess sound operational management systems, safety management systems, and emergency response plans for production safety accidents; it must be equipped with supporting facilities for the collection and disposal of ship-generated pollutants and waste; and it must obtain temporary operating rights for the temporary waterborne transfer operation zone. Market operators meeting these requirements will be issued temporary port operation licenses for waterborne transfer. At the same time, the operating and management entities of temporary waterborne transfer operation zones shall consolidate existing floating cranes to achieve unified and standardized management. Floating cranes admitted to the system must hold certificates for vessel inspection, seaworthiness, and prevention of oil pollution, and must comply with safety and environmental protection requirements. Personnel operating these floating cranes must hold valid certifications.

The proposal stipulates that by July 30, all barge-transfer operations within the secondary protection zone of drinking water source areas must be completely prohibited. All barge-transfer facilities, including floating cranes, must be removed from the protection zone and relocated to temporary barge-transfer zones on the water that have been designated and equipped with appropriate safety facilities. Floating cranes that meet the admission criteria, are willing to continue engaging in barge-transfer operations, and are brought under corporate management will be relocated to standardized temporary barge-transfer zones and retained. Other barge-transfer floating cranes that are not included in the temporary barge-transfer zones and are not subject to corporate management must cease operations and withdraw from the Yangtze River’s Jiangsu section by September 1. Barge-transfer platforms that had already obtained port operation licenses prior to the remediation efforts must cease operations and withdraw once their licenses expire.