Protests help clear the air

By Qian Yanfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-04 08:05

Despite the fears of some environmentalists, experts also agree technological improvements have made petrochemical projects far safer.

"The odds of accidents happening are now very small," said engineer Zhao. "If you look at the petrochemical industry worldwide, most are near waterways or coastlines to facilitate the import of crude oil and shipping. It won't mean greater environmental risks as long as we have reliable technology."

People power is also an important tool to ensure the transparency of the authorities' environmental assessments, he said.

The potential might of the public in blocking controversial chemical works has arguably never been better displayed than in Xiamen, a city in the coastal province of Fujian, where around 10,000 residents took to the streets in protest over a new plant in June 2007.

The factory would have produced paraxylene (PX), a solvent used in printing, rubber and leather industries that can cause adverse health effects to humans who come into contact with it.

The development in Xiamen was eventually halted but just two years later an identical project is now under way 100 km down the road in Zhangzhou.

With a total investment of 18.7 billion yuan, the city stands to receive a huge revenue boost, local media reported. But the construction site is just 300 m from a residential area.

"The people in Xiamen didn't want it because they were worried about safety, so it moves here instead. Of course we're worried. How could we not be?" one local told Southern Weekly.

Zhao Yuming added: "The PX project in Xiamen is a good but rare example of when residents were given a say and succeeded in rejecting it. We hope to see more like this."

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