The Codification Construction of the Environmental Risk Control System for New Pollutants

The environmental risk control of new pollutants is not only an inevitable measure to deal with new types of environmental risks, but also an inherent requirement for promoting the construction of the ecological environment governance system. However, the environmental risk control of new pollutants is confronted with systemic predicaments such as an emphasis on post-event relief, fragmented regulations, and limited liability mechanisms, urgently requiring the establishment of feasible legal basis. By comparing the three approaches of amending existing single laws, formulating specialized control laws, and incorporating the “Ecological Environment Code” under compilation, codification is currently the best choice that takes into account both practical feasibility and system coordination. The codification of environmental risk control for new pollutants should establish the principle of risk prevention, the concept of an overall systems perspective, and the responsibility mechanism for ecological and environmental restoration. Specifically, the “weak risk prevention principle” should be established in the pollution prevention and control section, and control measures should be taken in a timely manner under scientifically uncertain conditions. Coordinate the relationships among various chapters with the concept of an overall system perspective to form an institutional synergy. Establish a responsibility mechanism for ecological and environmental restoration to make up for the deficiencies of the traditional responsibility system. The codification of environmental risk control for new pollutants can not only establish a unified legal norm system, but also enhance the country’s capacity for ecological and environmental governance, contributing a Chinese solution to global ecological and environmental governance.