Hainan has further strengthened and standardized the examination and approval management of environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects

On December 31, 2021, the General Office of the People's Government of Hainan Province issued the "Regulations on the Administration of graded approval of environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects in Hainan Province" (hereinafter referred to as the "Provisions") and the "Catalogue for the Grading and Approval of Environmental Impact Assessment Documents for Construction Projects in Hainan Province (2021 Version)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Catalogue"), further strengthening and standardizing the approval and management of environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects, and for animal husbandry, fisheries, Environmental impact assessments of various types of construction projects such as non-metallic mining and dressing industries shall be carried out, and the Provisions shall come into force on the date of issuance.

The "Provisions" proposes that districted prefecture-level municipal governments may formulate and publish a catalogue for the grading and approval of environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects in Hainan Province in accordance with the authority and actual situation stipulated in the catalogue of graded examination and approval of environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects in Hainan Province, and the authority for examination and approval of environmental impact assessment documents in cities and counties shall not be delegated to townships and towns.

The Catalogue specifies 13 types of construction projects approved by the environmental impact assessment and approval departments of cities, counties and autonomous counties. Animal husbandry, fisheries, non-metallic mining and dressing, agricultural and sideline food processing industry, food manufacturing industry, wine and beverage manufacturing industry, water production and supply industry, public facility management industry, health, social undertakings and service industry: film and television base construction. Water conservancy: irrigation district projects (excluding water source projects); flood control and flood control projects; river and lake improvement (excluding rural ponds and weirs and water channels). Transportation industry, pipeline transportation industry: grade highway (excluding maintenance; excluding life rescue, emergency security projects and national defense traffic support projects); ro-ro, passenger transport, workboats, yacht docks; waterway engineering, water transport auxiliary engineering; central fishing port wharf. Marine Engineering: Marine Recreation and Sports, Marine Landscape Development, Marine Artificial Reef Engineering, Marine Ecological Restoration Engineering, Other Marine Engineering. Except for the above provincial governments to approve the use of the sea for construction projects.

The construction projects examined and approved by the provincial-level competent departments for ecology and environment include: construction projects examined and approved by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the preparation of environmental impact reports outside the approval authority of cities, counties (districts) and key parks specified in this catalogue; construction projects that should compile nuclear and radiation environmental impact report forms outside the approval authority of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; construction projects with sea use examined and approved by the provincial government; construction projects that cross the administrative regions of cities and counties by site selection and line selection, There are 7 major categories of construction projects that may cause adverse environmental impacts across administrative regions and the relevant cities and counties have objections to the conclusions of the project's environmental impact assessment.

In addition, Haikou City and Sanya City exercise the same examination and approval authority as the provincial ecological and environmental authorities within their administrative areas.