Air quality in Yantai, East China's Shandong province, sees significant improvement in 2019. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The air quality in Yantai, East China's Shandong province, has seen significant improvement over the past year, according to the provincial department of ecology and environment on Jan 17.

The city's air quality was rated as good in 2019, with its average concentrations of PM 2.5, PM 10, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, as well as its composite index of ambient air quality ranking second provincewide.

All rivers in Yantai under the control of the provincial government have now reached a consistent standard, putting the city at fourth place in Shandong in terms of the health of its water environment.

In 2019, Changdao in Yantai was designated as pilot county for projects adhering to the spirit of "clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver".

The above achievements can be mainly attributed to the strict measures implemented by the government, including an accountability system for air quality, a system for reporting information related to the water environment, and the river chief system.

Yantai imposed 127 million yuan ($18.43 million) in administrative penalties for harming the environment last year, the second highest in Shandong.

In 2020, the city will continue focusing on the prevention and control of pollution and work to strike a balance between environmental protection and high quality economic development.