AMID RISING CONCERNS about soil pollution across the country, the Ministry of Environmental Protection recently released a draft regulation on managing polluted land and soil for public opinions. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Wednesday:

The ministry's draft plan on the protection of land and soil, which ranges from environmental investigation to risk assessment and management, released a clear signal that curbing soil pollution and treating polluted land is now a priority.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Land and Resources in 2014, China faces severe land pollution and soil degradation, and about 16.1 percent of its soil contains excessive amounts of pollutants.