To review and revise the collection system of the soil and groundwater pollution remediation fees, collect key topics of concern from various aspects of society, and incorporate opinions into the said revision, the owners of this project visited professional associations and societies and convened a discussion meeting and two private hearings. On December 30th 2016, the Environmental Protection Administration released the revised edition of the Regulations Governing Soil and Underground Water Pollution Remediation Fee Collection (herein referred to as “Fee Collection Regulations”). These revised Fee Collection Regulations added 22 items to the publicly announced list of materials and changed waste collection methods categorized by industry types to a waste-based method with 66 items of waste and corresponding codes. These Fee Collection Regulations shall enter into force on July 1st 2017. A total of 4 sessions of legal interpretation conferences were planned and held by the Environmental Protection Administration to ensure that businesses newly included into the fee collection system are familiar with the said Regulations and are capable of reporting and paying their fees in compliance with the law. To achieve the vision of establishing a comprehensive national fee collection system for soil and groundwater pollution remediation and attain the goals of building a robust and sustainable of remediation fee collection system and operations, the project owners compiled opinions from relevant agencies to help communicate legal details and dispel confusion. Additionally, a total of 11 expert consultation meetings were held to analyze key topics from different aspects, including: (1) funding sources; (2) funding utilization; (3) deduction and reward systems; and (4) operations and benefits of the soil and groundwater remediation fund. Experts were invited to participate in joint discussions, seek compliance with the financial operation principles of securing sources of funding while limiting expenses and achieving balanced income and expenses, and formulate feasible directions, strategies, measures, and financial operations decision-making plans. The combined economic benefit was assessed to select the optimal plan while incorporating short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategic objectives of the financial operations of the soil and groundwater mediation fund for the purpose of achieving the ultimate objectives of mid- and long-term financial benefits, values, and sustainable operations and management of the said fund.

The Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fund, Regulations Governing Collection of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fees