Uranium plant plan scrapped
Source: Agencies |
July 14, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES in a southern Chinese city yesterday scrapped a plan to build a uranium-processing plant, a day after hundreds of residents protested against it due to safety concerns.
The city government of Heshan, in Guangdong Province, said that it would halt the 37 billion yuan (US$6 billion) project by China National Nuclear Corp, which would have built facilities for uranium conversion, enrichment and manufacturing of nuclear fuel equipment.
"The people's government of the city of Heshan has decided to respect public opinion and will not consider CNNC's Longwan industrial park project," read the announcement.
In March, CNNC signed agreements with the Heshan government regarding land use and investment for the industrial park, according to state media.
Yesterday's decision by Heshan government came after hundreds of protesters paraded through Jiangmen on Friday, holding banners and wearing T-shirts with phrases opposing the project while chanting slogans.
"Give us back our rural homes. We are against nuclear radiation," they shouted in scenes seen in television video.
Heshan is part of the greater Jiangmen area. The protest was in response to a risk evaluation report of the planned project. Increasingly aware of environmental safety, members of the Chinese public have been taking to the streets to oppose environmentally risky projects, and local governments have yielded under public pressure in some cases - by scrapping the projects, postponing them or relocating them.
CNNC could not be immediately reached for comment.
The city government of Heshan, in Guangdong Province, said that it would halt the 37 billion yuan (US$6 billion) project by China National Nuclear Corp, which would have built facilities for uranium conversion, enrichment and manufacturing of nuclear fuel equipment.
"The people's government of the city of Heshan has decided to respect public opinion and will not consider CNNC's Longwan industrial park project," read the announcement.
In March, CNNC signed agreements with the Heshan government regarding land use and investment for the industrial park, according to state media.
Yesterday's decision by Heshan government came after hundreds of protesters paraded through Jiangmen on Friday, holding banners and wearing T-shirts with phrases opposing the project while chanting slogans.
"Give us back our rural homes. We are against nuclear radiation," they shouted in scenes seen in television video.
Heshan is part of the greater Jiangmen area. The protest was in response to a risk evaluation report of the planned project. Increasingly aware of environmental safety, members of the Chinese public have been taking to the streets to oppose environmentally risky projects, and local governments have yielded under public pressure in some cases - by scrapping the projects, postponing them or relocating them.
CNNC could not be immediately reached for comment.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
