Ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of environmental monitoring data (People's Daily Review)
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently released a batch of typical cases of ecological environment law enforcement, exposing the falsification of environmental automatic monitoring data by adding chemicals to reduce chemical oxygen demand, manually "polishing" unsightly data, and renovating pipelines to "divert" exhaust gas to bypass monitoring facilities... The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has also exposed various fraudulent behaviors of environmental automatic monitoring data, and the relevant units and individuals involved have been strictly punished in accordance with the law. Environmental monitoring data is the basic basis for objectively evaluating the environmental quality status and reflecting the effectiveness of pollution control. Environmental monitoring is an important support for promoting ecological civilization construction. Human interference or modification of monitoring data can lead to data distortion, which can affect environmental decision-making, strategic layout of pollution control work, and fund allocation. Pollution prevention and control must be serious and tough, and there should be zero tolerance for falsification of environmental monitoring data for any reason.
Continuously deepening the battle against pollution prevention and control, adhering to precise, scientific, and legal pollution control, and strengthening environmental monitoring are necessary conditions. The environmental monitoring data is true, accurate, and comprehensive, which helps to objectively evaluate the environmental quality status, find the direction and focus of governance, and then reasonably allocate human and material resources to make good use of steel on the cutting edge. In 2018, the "Three Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War" was issued, proposing to focus on the Beijing Tianjin Hebei and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta region, the Fenwei Plain and other regions, and continue to carry out air pollution prevention and control actions. The important basis for determining key governance areas lies in real, accurate, and comprehensive air quality monitoring data. In recent years, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has continued to organize efforts to crack down on the illegal activities of key polluting units falsifying automatic monitoring data. Local ecological and environmental departments at all levels have investigated and dealt with multiple cases of suspected tampering, forgery of automatic monitoring data, and interference with automatic monitoring facilities in combination with daily supervision and special inspections. If monitoring data is contaminated, the harm it causes may be no less than ecological pollution itself. It can be said that ensuring the authenticity of ecological environment monitoring is to solidify the foundation of ecological environment protection.
Some effective protection mechanisms are also based on accurate monitoring data to operate. For example, the ecological protection compensation mechanism of Shandong and Henan working together to protect the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin is based on the water quality monitoring results of the Liuzhuang national control section where the main stream of the Yellow River flows from Henan to Shandong; Anhui and Zhejiang provinces jointly protect the water quality of the Xin'an River, and ecological protection compensation is also based on the water quality monitoring of cross provincial boundary sections. It is precisely through the recognized monitoring data from both sides and even multiple parties that different regions have clarified their rights and responsibilities and promoted cooperation in promoting coordinated ecological and environmental governance. From this perspective, ecological environment monitoring is not only beneficial for controlling pollution behavior, but also can further improve the level of environmental governance.
Ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of environmental monitoring data, and make counterfeiters pay the price. We need to use technological means to continuously improve regulatory levels and ensure that illegal acts of fraud are nowhere to hide. Both strict investigation and punishment are necessary. Not long ago, the Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Environmental Pollution was released, further improving the rules for handling the crime of damaging computer information systems in cases of damaging environmental quality monitoring systems. Strictly investigating and punishing data falsification in the field of the environment in accordance with the law is necessary to promote ecological and environmental protection work to a new level and effectively safeguard the people's sense of environmental gain.
A good ecological environment is an inherent requirement for achieving sustainable development of the Chinese nation, a priority area for enhancing people's well-being, and an important foundation for building a beautiful China. The Opinion of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Deepening the Battle of Pollution Prevention and Control proposes to "establish and improve a modern ecological environment monitoring system." Strengthening environmental monitoring and continuously building and improving an ecological environment monitoring network system that integrates land and sea, heaven and earth, upper and lower coordination, and information sharing can provide strong support for formulating environmental governance policies and solid guarantees for promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
