Recently, the Ministry of Justice ("MOJ") and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment ("MEE") have jointly released the Classified Provisions on Forensic Testing Practices for Environmental Damage (the "Provisions"), immediately effective from the date of issuance.
The Provisions provide policy-level support for the standardized management of forensic testing agencies specialized in environmental damage and their forensic examiners, and are designed to improve the administration of forensic tests for environmental damage to a more standard and scientific level. Encompassing 51 articles organized into nine chapters, the Provisions describe in detail the classification of forensic testing practices for environmental damage, into the identification of nature of pollutants, the identification of environmental damage caused by air pollution, the identification of environmental damage to surface water and sediment, the identification of environmental damage to soil and ground water, the identification of environmental damage to near-shore ocean and coastal zones, the identification of environmental damage to eco-system, and the identification of other environmental damage. Meanwhile, the Provisions clearly define and provide clarity on some key issues, including the identification of damage caused by air pollution to eco-system, the identification of damage to animals and plants, the identification of damage of certain degree to human health, and the identification of damage to soil eco-system resulted from polluting activities.