Guangdong villagers protest incinerator

Over 1,000 residents march over potential pollution from burning trash

Residents in Boluo county, Guangdong Province took to the streets on Sunday for a second consecutive day to protest against a proposed waste incinerator near the county, while the government denied that its location has been finalized.

Over 1,000 residents expressed their concern over pollution by marching through the county on Saturday to protest the construction of an "ecological garden" set to include a garbage incinerator and a landfill, according to public notices posted on the official Sina Weibo account of the county government.

Local police on Saturday night demanded that leaders and active participants in the protest surrender within three days, calling for people to behave reasonably and not to spread rumors.

Police detained 24 people for investigation on suspicion of illegally organizing crowds to disturb social order and traffic, eight of whom have already been released. Police also took eight people in for suspected rumormongering online, among whom three were detained on Sunday.

"It is a civilized protest. We were marching in an orderly fashion. Despite a heavy police presence, we had no physical conflicts with them except for some agitated young people," said one protester who asked for anonymity. The account was confirmed by another protester on condition of anonymity.

"We were just shouting slogans. The police kept us from holding up banners which read 'protect Boluo' and the like," the protester said.

They were protesting against the project since the incinerating plant and the landfill site will be built along the Dongjiang River, of which the county is located in the lower reaches, the protestor explained.

As the river provides drinking water for Boluo, together with Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Dongguan, they were worried about pollution risks.

Additionally, the wind blows in Boluo for about 280 days per year, prompting their concern about possible poor air quality if the incinerator were built.

Similar protests caused by people's concern about potential environmental risks from development projects have arisen in China in recent years. Li Zuojun, deputy director with the Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies at the Development Research Center of the State Council, pointed out that the best way to address residents' concerns is providing sufficient explanation about projects' technology, risk management and legal bases.

Huizhou, the city which administers Boluo county, explained that a detailed plan for the project was publicized on the Huizhou Daily on August 16 and the city's official website for a month.

"But did most people actually read the plan?" Li asked, adding that current efforts often fail to inform the public.

Li suggested that such plans should be publicized through a number of media channels, and that local governments should inform the residents of projects that will have significant immediate impacts.