Incinerator project goes up in smoke

By Xiao Ma and Li Xinzhu (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-03 08:12

SHANGHAI: The building of a 300-million-yuan ($48 million) incinerator in Jiangsu province has been stopped after a local protest.

More than 1,000 people gathered around the nearly-completed plant on No 318 National Highway in Wujiang, Suzhou in late October.

Following the protest, the Wujiang government announced it won't restart the project until it gets permission from the general public.

It also said, however, it won't pull down the incinerator.

The protesters worry the plant poses a threat to residents' health. The highly populated area is surrounded by a kindergarten, primary school and high school. The plant is also close to nearby Taihu Lake.

Protesters demanded local governments stop the project and tear down the incinerator.

"How dare they build the incinerator right beside the lake. Even worse, there are a lot of schools around this area," an angry netizen said on a popular internet forum.

"I don't want any chance of coming into contact with dioxin (a toxic chemical). Please give us back our peaceful life," added another netizen named suiyuan629.

A spokesman for Wujiang, who asked not to be named, said the construction was legal and was approved by authorities.

"It has also undergone environmental evaluation from the Ministry of Environmental Protection," he said.

Despite previous reassurances by the government, local people still cast doubt on the environmental safety of the plant.

Shu Jiong, a geologist with East China Normal University in Shanghai, said yesterday that greater public involvement should be regarded by local governments as an important factor during the construction of such public facilities, adding it is not wise to build such a plant near a heavily-populated area and a lake.

"The public's right to know is actually the most important part of setting up such a massive project," Shu said. "Getting the public involved in the construction is the only way to reduce their anxiety," he added.

Shu also suggested the local government should do a questionnaire before starting this kind of project.

"Communication is crucial in gaining the trust of the general public," he emphasized.

Incineration is a waste treatment technology that involves burning organic materials. It is widely used around the world. Countries such as Japan, Denmark and a large number of European countries rely on incineration for handling municipal waste.