On July 7, a technical exchange meeting on soil remediation was held in Beijing. Experts from China and the United States in the field of soil remediation and governance freely shared their insights on how soil remediation technologies could better address China's practical challenges, repeatedly bringing the meeting to new climaxes.

This conference is jointly hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology—Land and Resources Branch, the Green Mine Promotion Committee, the China Soil Environment Promotion Platform, Provectus Corporation of the United States, Zhongbo Soil Environment Engineering Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., Tiandi Jueneng (Beijing) Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., and Beijing Jingyuan Technology Co., Ltd. More than 40 participants attended the conference, including heads from relevant departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, expert professors and scholars from the Research Center for Eco-Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Geological Survey, Tsinghua University, and China University of Geosciences (Beijing), as well as representatives from specialized institutions such as the National Geological Testing and Analysis Center, industry associations including the Beijing Green Mine Joint Engineering Technology Research Institute and the Renewable Energy Alliance, and company leaders from Beijing Dadi Hualong Co., Ltd., Zhongke Tiandi Tong Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., and Xuanhua Zhengpu Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.

It is understood that the safe, sustainable utilization and management of contaminated soils have become a hot topic of common concern among governments, academia, and the environmental protection industry. The “Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution,” issued in 2016, clearly stated that by 2020, the rate of safe utilization of contaminated farmland would reach around 90%, and the rate of safe utilization of contaminated land plots would exceed 90%. Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the construction of ecological civilization has become an essential national policy. Currently, the soil remediation sector is emerging as a promising, sunrise industry with broad prospects, and there is a growing need for more success stories.

Foreign companies have shown great interest in China’s robust demand. Jim Muller, President of Provectus, traveled all the way from the United States to attend the meeting and brought along samples of the company’s next-generation repair agent. Wu Junyue, head of the company’s Asia-Pacific region, said: “We’re eager to share and exchange our decades of experience with our Chinese counterparts, working together to foster even greater development in this field. It’s wonderful that everyone today has the opportunity to sit down and discuss these issues.” He believes that environmental protection is no longer merely a technical endeavor, making departmental integration in this field a positive step forward.

Safety, efficiency, low cost, long-term effectiveness of remediation, and fewer “side effects” are several key areas of focus for U.S. environmental technology companies. Provestus, which is attending this meeting, is dedicated to the research and development of ISCR/ISCO (chemical) remediation technologies and boasts extensive experience in solutions for site contamination and groundwater pollution remediation. SciAps has brought a handheld laser spectrometer that, according to its introduction, enables rapid on-site identification and analysis of various heavy metals and hazardous elements. Cambell Scientific has developed monitoring systems tailored for soil and geological hazards, which hold broad practical value in the field of hydrogeology.

Chinese experts, on the other hand, place greater emphasis on the practicality of technology alignment. Selecting and formulating remediation plans based on the appropriate land-use designation is a fundamental principle of soil restoration—and this, in turn, hinges on a thorough understanding of the technologies involved. Qian Yuhao, a senior engineer at the professorial level and member of the Land and Resources Branch of the China Association for Science and Technology for the Elderly, pointed out that soil pollution remediation is a daunting and complex systematic undertaking involving numerous disciplines. Therefore, it is essential to introduce foreign technologies in a targeted manner, tailored to China’s specific conditions, and to ensure their effective adaptation and implementation. This view was endorsed by several experts present at the meeting. “International cooperation in the field of soil remediation is indeed necessary,” said Bai Zhongke, Dean of the School of Land Science and Technology at China University of Geosciences (Beijing), “but when introducing advanced foreign technologies, we must conduct techno-economic analyses and rigorously evaluate, screen, separate, eliminate, and optimize these technologies. At the same time, the state should strengthen its regulatory oversight over soil pollution.” In addition, experts recommended that, given the large-scale nature of China’s soil pollution remediation efforts, research and breakthroughs should be intensified on the mechanisms underlying soil contamination in mining areas and agricultural lands, as well as on related remediation and treatment technologies, thereby establishing effective institutional frameworks and mechanisms for governance. Experts also cautioned that when introducing foreign technologies, attention must be paid to compliance with environmental protection regulations. □