The recent public debate over the planned development of a
chemical plant in Xiamen, Fujian Province, appears to have reached a
conclusion.
According to media reports, the local government has agreed to
move the plant to another city because of environmental and health
concerns.
Xiamen, coastal city of
Fujian Province
At a meeting on Saturday, provincial leaders agreed to move the
10.8-billion-yuan (US$1.46 billion) plant to the Gulei Peninsula,
near the city of Zhangzhou, Hong Kong's Da Kung Po newspaper
said.
The Xiamen government will compensate the Xianglu Chemical Fiber
Corporation, the principal investor, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao
newspaper said.
The relocation still needs to be approved by the National
Development and Reform Commission, it said.
"Although this is a large project - and a good one too - the
fact that so many people are against it requires us to carefully
consider the matter from a scientific, democratic and public
viewpoint," provincial Party chief Lu Zhangong was quoted as
saying.
Zhu Qing, director of the Fujian government's information
office, said the issue "is still under discussion and relevant
information will be released through official sources".
However, he did not deny the plant's possible relocation, the
Shanghai Daily reported.
At a two-day hearing held last Friday and Saturday, just 15 of
the 121 representatives of the public supported construction of the
plant in Xiamen's Haicang district, 16 km from the city center.
The representatives were invited to attend the meeting following
the release of an environmental assessment report on the project by
the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
(China Daily December 20, 2007)
