The Ministry of Environmental Protection in China announced "regulations for an automatic monitoring system for pollution sources" on March 18 and will implement them from May 1. China will form a communication network between automatic monitoring equipment already placed in key pollution sources and pollution treatment facilities across the country and local environmental protection divisions, and effect data communication in real time.

For the next few years, the Ministry of Environmental Protection will be in charge of the independent and vertical management of environmental monitoring and observation on a trial basis in areas that meet certain conditions, as well as a management assisted by a professional qualification system through the establishment of a field-based environmental observer system under the joint control of enterprises and local environmental protection divisions.

Furthermore, in the future, it plans to advance the management of enterprises divided into three categories, which are indicator-attainment type, risk management type and advanced type.