MCLC: drones to fight pollution

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: drones to fight pollution
***********************************************************

Source: China Real Time blog, WSJ (6/30/14):
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/30/night-vision-china-enlists-dr
ones-in-fight-against-pollution/

Night Vision: China Enlists Drones in Fight Against Pollution
By Wayne Ma

Watch out, big Chinese polluters: The cover of night won’t help you
anymore.
So say Chinese officials who are deploying aerial drones equipped with
infrared cameras to spot pollution emissions after the sun sets.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said
<http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/06/29/195s833724.htm> Saturday that 11
unmanned aerial vehicles were used this month to inspect 254 factories in
the provincial-level regions of Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.

Although it isn’t the first time China has used drones to fight air
pollution, the ministry said it was the first time the drones were
equipped with cameras capable of thermal imaging for nighttime
inspections. The drones flew a combined 20 hours over a period of 12 days
and covered 1,000 square kilometers, the ministry said.

Based on the inspections, the ministry said it found problems at 64
facilities that ranged from “excessive” emissions of soot, dust and smoke
to the lack of operation of desulfurization and wastewater-treatment
facilities.

It singled out three companies for having “serious” emissions problems:
Hebei Iron & Steel Group, Shanxi Huaze Aluminum & Power Co. and Inner
Mongolia Huanghe Chemicals Group.

None of the companies responded to requests for comment.

The ministry said it would urge local governments to investigate the
companies, rectify any problems and make investigation results publicly
available.

The ministry said benefits of drones were their high mobility, range and
ability to enforce environmental-pollution laws without interference. The
latest inspections come after a similar drone campaign that ran from
November 2013 to February 2014 in Hebei that was approved by aviation
authorities, it said.

“Unmanned aerial vehicles can enforce the law without space constraints,
aren’t restricted by terrain and allow first-hand information of the real
situation of relevant companies without interference,” it said.

– Wayne Ma. Follow him on Twitter at @waynema
<http://www.twitter.com/waynema>