OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2012. The Hebei government has issued Chinaбпs toughest standards for air pollutants from the local steel industry, which would help further reduce the emissions of particulate matter by 50 percent to 80 percent and those of sulfur dioxide by 60 percent to 90 percent on top of the existing national standards.

Nearly 90 percent of the discharge standards stated by the new directive are stricter than the national standards, in addition to the creation for the first time in China of emission limits on four hazardous elements.

Being the countryбпs largest steel-producing province, Hebei produced 165 million tons of crude steel, 154 million tons of pig iron and 192 million tons of steel products last year.