Abstract: China's rare earth industry has the characteristics of numerous products, complicated production process and obvious industrial pollution particularity. Therefore, it is urgent to scientifically formulate technical specification for application and issue of pollutant permits according to their pollution characteristics. The main production technologies of rare earth industry, the types of pollutants and the main pollution links were analyzed. Based on the experience of permit application and issue of technical specifications from nonferrous metal industry and renewable metal industry, key technical specifications such as determination of pollution factors, classification of discharge outlets and calculation of permitted discharges were analyzed in formulation of technical specifications for pollutant discharge permits of the rare earth industry. Suggestions on the formulation of technical specifications for the rare earth industry were put forward from the aspects of increasing the characteristic pollution factors of the industry, dividing the discharge outlets into the main ones and the general ones, determining the permitted discharge limits and calculating the permitted discharges, and increasing the pollution control requirements for the southern ion-type rare earth mines.