To guarantee citizens' environmental rights is to guarantee social stability, says an editorial in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

Some environmental cases were in the spotlight lately: A water crisis occurred in Wuxi, in East China's Jiangsu Province, as Taihu Lake was plagued by algae; and the water quality of Dianchi Lake in Southwest China's Yunnan Province was not improved despite government investment of 4.7 billion yuan ($610 million). These cases created warnings on hidden environmental risks.

Fortunately we also see some positive moves by the related department. Pan Yue, deputy-director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said last week that the administration suggested postponing the waste incineration power project in Liulitun in Haidian District in Beijing until it is further evaluated; and the administration will conduct an environmental evaluation of the entire urban planning design of Xiamen in eastern Fujian Province.

As early as 2005 the municipal bureau of environmental protection in Beijing pointed out that it was inappropriate to set up a refuse landfill in Liulitun and suggested relocating residential facilities near the area. Instead, the local government built several new housing estates nearby.

And Haicang was first planned as an industrial zone in Xiamen but later saw extensive development of housing estates. Now the area again wants to develop heavy industrial projects, risking public safety.

So the decision-making procedures such as environmental evaluation must be institutionalized and the public should have more say.

(China Daily 06/12/2007 page10)