To continue and intensify the campaign to protect blue skies, further enhance the comprehensive management of air pollution in the city’s foundry industry, promote green and high-quality development in the foundry sector, and facilitate the sustained improvement of regional air quality, this plan has been formulated in accordance with the actual conditions of Xuzhou.
I. General Requirements
Thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization, take the realization of synergistic benefits in pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction as the overarching approach, carry out comprehensive air pollution control in the foundry industry in depth, and promote the continuous improvement of air quality. Building on the preliminary survey and investigation (which includes newly established foundry enterprises or those not included in previous statistics within the scope of this rectification), for enterprises classified as “retain and upgrade,” advance full-process pollution control, strengthen the management of both organized and unorganized emissions, and ensure stable compliance with the limit values set forth in the “Air Pollution Emission Standards for the Foundry Industry.”By the end of June 2025, each enterprise will undergo acceptance inspection and be removed from the list in accordance with its “one enterprise, one plan” rectification scheme. This will further enhance process standards, reduce total pollutant emissions, and achieve a fundamental improvement in the comprehensive governance level of the foundry industry.
II. Key Tasks
1. Strictly Implement Policies and Standards.Strictly enforce relevant laws, regulations, and standards regarding energy conservation, environmental protection, quality, and safety, as well as the restricted and phased-out categories listed in the National Development and Reform Commission’s *Guidance Catalog for Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 Edition)*. In accordance with laws and regulations, phase out outdated process equipment such as coreless power-frequency induction furnaces and aluminum-shell medium-frequency induction furnaces without magnetic yokes (≥0.25 tons), and promote the exit of production capacity that fails to meet pollutant emission standards or lacks production safety guarantees.Ensure that indicators for new, renovated, and expanded projects—including energy consumption, material consumption, water consumption, comprehensive resource utilization, and pollutant emissions per unit of product—comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards.[Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, Municipal Data Bureau; People’s Governments of all counties (cities, districts), and the Administrative Committees of Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xuzhou High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Xuzhou Huaihai International Port Area. All localities are required to implement these measures; specific entities will not be listed individually hereafter.]
2. Strengthen control at the project source. Strictly implement requirements for total emission control of major pollutants, as well as total energy consumption and intensity control. Resolutely curb the blind development of non-compliant projects and low-level repetitive construction, and prevent the blind expansion of production capacity. All relevant units shall provide project services in accordance with the requirements of documents such as the "Jiangsu Province Measures for the Approval and Filing of Enterprise Investment Projects," the "Jiangsu Province Measures for the Graded Approval of Environmental Impact Assessment Documents for Construction Projects,"the "Implementation Measures for Energy Conservation Review of Fixed Asset Investment Projects in Jiangsu Province," the "Regulations on Pollutant Discharge Permit Management," and the "Supervision and Management Measures for the 'Three Simultaneities' of Safety Facilities in Construction Projects," to ensure that procedures for new, renovated, and expanded projects—including filing, environmental impact assessment, pollutant discharge permits, safety assessments, and energy conservation reviews—are compliant and complete, and that project construction meets relevant legal, regulatory, and standard requirements. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Data, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Municipal Emergency Management Bureau)
3. Promote Advanced Processes and Equipment. Drive the upgrading of casting products toward high-end and specialized applications, and the upgrading of processing technologies toward high efficiency, precision, and energy conservation, thereby enhancing the supply capacity of core components in sectors such as construction machinery and automobiles.Priority support will be given to the development of automated molding using high-density clay sand, high-efficiency self-hardening sand casting, precision core assembly molding, shell molding, centrifugal casting, metal mold casting, iron mold sand coating, and lost-foam/V-process/solid-pattern casting, as well as advanced casting processes and equipment for light alloys, including high-pressure, extrusion, differential pressure, and low-pressure casting,semi-solid/pressure-regulated casting, sol-gel investment casting, short-process casting, and 3D sand printing. (Responsible Unit: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
4. Ensure comprehensive compliance with emission standards. Foundries shall apply for and obtain emission permits in accordance with the law, strictly discharge pollutants in compliance with permit requirements, and implement self-monitoring, record-keeping, compliance reporting, and information disclosure as stipulated in the emission permits.Promote existing and new enterprises to actively cultivate benchmark foundries with Grade A or B environmental performance by referring to differentiated performance indicators such as equipment levels, production processes, pollution control technologies, emission limits, fugitive emissions, monitoring capabilities, environmental management standards, and transportation methods. This will drive improvements in pollution control across the entire industry; by 2025, cultivate more than 20 benchmark foundries with Grade A or B environmental performance.Strictly enforce the "Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from the Foundry Industry (GB 39726-2020)" and strengthen control of fugitive emissions. Enterprises unable to consistently meet emission standards must complete facility upgrades and renovations within a specified timeframe; those lacking the conditions for renovation or failing to meet standards even after renovation shall be phased out in accordance with laws and regulations.Promote the implementation of in-depth pollution control. Local authorities shall organize foundry enterprises to select efficient pollution control technologies suitable for their specific conditions in accordance with the "Technical Guidelines for Feasibility of Air Pollution Prevention and Control in the Foundry Industry (HJ 1292-2023)" to carry out in-depth treatment, achieving comprehensive in-depth control throughout the entire process, including source reduction, process control, and end-of-pipe treatment. (Responsible Unit: Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau)
5. Accelerate the industry’s green transition. Guide eligible enterprises to relocate to standardized industrial parks and develop in clusters, fully leveraging the advantages of centralized pollution control within these parks. Integrate green production methods throughout the entire casting production process by developing green raw and auxiliary materials, promoting green processes, building green factories, and developing green industrial parks, while deeply advancing the circular economy transformation of industrial parks. Encourage enterprises to adopt high-efficiency, energy-saving smelting equipment, heat treatment equipment, and energy-efficient die-casting equipment; strengthen energy management and control during the casting production process; and promote the recovery and utilization of waste heat from casting production.Promote the application of recycling technologies for foundry waste sand, as well as the recycling and utilization of scrap metal. Accelerate the implementation of green transportation for foundry enterprises; encourage the use of clean transportation methods—such as rail, waterways, pipelines, or tubular belt conveyors—for the transport of bulk materials and industrial goods. Give priority to the use of all-electric vehicles for transportation, with the proportion of all-electric vehicles generally not falling below 30%.Coordinated efforts will be made to advance carbon reduction, pollution control, ecological enhancement, and economic growth in the foundry industry, promoting ecological optimization, resource conservation, and green, low-carbon development. (Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau)
III. Policy Measures
1. Increase Financial Support. Strengthen guidance and assistance to enterprises. For projects such as upgrading standards and installing monitoring and surveillance facilities in the foundry industry, actively assist enterprises in applying for subsidies from the Central Special Fund for Air Pollution Prevention and Control and the Provincial Special Fund for Ecological and Environmental Protection. At the same time, include comprehensive remediation of the foundry industry within the scope of support outlined in the 2025 Xuzhou Municipal Special Fund for Ecological and Environmental Protection Application Guidelines, further increasing financial support to enhance enterprises’ enthusiasm for pollution control.
2. Implement differentiated management. Casting enterprises with Grade A environmental performance, Grade I clean production status, or those designated as provincial-level or higher “Green Factories” shall be included in the exemption list for emergency controls during heavy pollution weather and the positive list for supervisory enforcement. Relying on remote monitoring and big data analysis, off-site supervision will be conducted to strictly adhere to the principle of “no disturbance unless necessary, and prompt response when required.” Priority will be given to supporting these enterprises in the selection of “Green Leading Enterprises,” simplifying environmental impact assessment procedures for relevant projects, and prioritizing the allocation of subsidy funds.
IV. Support Measures
1. Strengthen Organizational Implementation. As the “primary responsible persons,” leading officials at all levels must, in accordance with the overall deployment of the Blue Sky Defense Campaign, prioritize the comprehensive management of air pollutants in the foundry industry. They must effectively strengthen organizational leadership, personally deploy, coordinate, and supervise efforts, strictly implement national, provincial, and municipal requirements, avoid simplistic “one-size-fits-all” approaches, guide and assist enterprises in completing remediation and upgrades, and lead the industry toward comprehensive improvement.
2. Reinforce Corporate Responsibility. Foundries must earnestly fulfill their primary responsibility to ensure emissions meet standards. Enterprises should strengthen technical training for personnel, improve internal environmental performance evaluation and management mechanisms, and ensure the long-term, stable operation of pollution control facilities. They must promptly disclose information—in accordance with laws and regulations—regarding self-monitoring and emission data, pollution control measures, responses to severe pollution episodes, penalties for environmental violations, and corrective actions.
3. Strengthen Implementation. Based on the results of the casting enterprise screening and assessment, localities shall, at the county (city, district) level, compile a classification and disposal recommendation table, formulate “one enterprise, one policy” rectification plans, and establish a reverse timeline based on completion deadlines to refine work schedules and advance comprehensive remediation efforts in an orderly manner.Specifically, the classification and disposal recommendation tables for foundry enterprises, the comprehensive remediation progress schedules, and the “one-enterprise-one-plan” remediation plans must be submitted to the Municipal Task Force Office by the end of January 2025. The Municipal Task Force Office will organize relevant departments and industry experts to conduct a unified review and approval. The Municipal Task Force Office will monitor progress on all tasks every two weeks and promptly report the situation to the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government to ensure the effectiveness of the work.
4. Foster a favorable ecosystem. Further leverage the management and liaison roles of industry associations to strengthen policy dissemination, industry services, and decision-making support. Enhance enterprises’ awareness of social responsibility and the spirit of industry self-regulation, earnestly fulfill responsibilities regarding environmental protection and safety, and maintain the stable and healthy development of the industry.
