From AP:
China said Friday it will strictly monitor the government’s economic stimulus package for projects that cause pollution, addressing worries that officials would ignore the environment in an effort to maintain China’s high economic growth rates.
The stimulus will not damage the environment, Ministry of Environmental Protection Vice Minister Zhang Lijun told a news conference.
China’s 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package was unveiled last November to boost domestic demand during the global financial crisis.
Zhang said only projects concerning infrastructure and improving public welfare will get approval for fast-track environmental assessments — meaning everything else will be subject to a more rigorous assessment.
