Palace lake project 'harms ecosystem'
By Qin Chuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-06 05:52

The project to cover the lake beds of Beijing's Old Summer Palace Yuanmingyuan to prevent water seepage is defective and has already caused serious damage to the ecosystem, a report assessing the environmental impact of the project shows.

But the report, by experts from Tsinghua University, does not suggest that the membrane used to cover the lake beds should be removed, which has been the demand of many experts and environmentalists.

The long-awaited report - three months in coming was made public on the website of the State Environmental Protection Administration yesterday. The administration is organizing experts to evaluate it and has said it will make its conclusion as soon as possible.

Vice-director of the Yuanmingyuan Administrative Bureau Zhu Hong refused to comment on the report, saying "it is too technical." The bureau has held that the project was necessary because the park has long been suffering from a serious water shortage.

Zhu said the bureau is awaiting the final conclusions of the administration, which it will abide by.

"The report is disappointing," said Zhang Zhengchun, of the Life Science School of Lanzhou University, in Gansu Province, arguing that although it points out problems, it does not offer a "thorough" solution. It was Zhang who first highlighted the lake covering process in late March, claiming that the project could damage the park's ecosystem.

According to the report, the solution to the issue should "be based on the current status of the project." The project, before a stop was called, had almost been completed.

The membrane must be removed, because it turns "living water" into "dead water," Zhang has argued, adding that more funds and experts should be employed to resolve the problem in Yuanmingyuan.

The fabulous palace of Yuanmingyuan was burnt down in 1860 by British and French troops, with what remained further destroyed in 1900 by the Eight Power Allied Forces during the Boxer Uprising.

Today it is regarded as an important historical relic. It came under media spotlight when Zhang went public with his concerns over the 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million) project.

The environment administration called a halt to work on March 31, on the grounds the park authorities had not undertaken an environmental impact assessment, as required by law.

(China Daily 07/06/2005 page3)

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