The "west-to-east natural gas transmission" scheme, a major state project, has recently been checked and accepted by the State Environmental Protection Administration. Thus far, the tremendous social and economic profits generated by the project are becoming increasingly notable.

The west-to-east gas transmission project along the line passes seven macro-ecotypes through Gobi, desert, arid and semiarid, loess plateau, steppe forest land, Shanxi-Henan earth-rock mountain areas as well as the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, the Yangtze and Huaihe river plain cultivated lands, and water network, 143 micro ecotypes, four state-level nature reserves, one state-level eco-functional region, and four environmental sensitive regions as well as a multitude of cultural relics areas.

In the process of the project construction, in line with the environmental influence evaluation requirement, the west-to-east gas transmission project adopted the measures for making way for the Aljinshan Mountain Lop Nur wild two-humped camel reserve, the Anxi extreme arid desert reserve, the Shapotou Nature Reserve, the Taihang Mountain Rhesus Monkey Nature Reserve, the Zhongshan Grotto Natural and Cultural Relic Reserve as well as other sensitive targets.

Reports say that after completion of the project construction, water and soil conservation measures in most sections are up to the requirements of national standard and the ecological environment is back to good conditions.

According to Huang Zejun, deputy general manager of the West-to-East Pipelining Company, 3.6 percent of the total investment is drawn out from the West-to-East Natural Gas Transmission Project to be used in environmental protection. In the whole process from the evaluation of environmental protection, design and construction to production after completion of the project, harmonious development has been achieved for the energy project and environment.

By People's Daily Online