Wuhan (CNS) -- Teachers and students of Yangtze University in central China's Hubei Province knelt down in front of the offices of Jinzhou city and district government on November 1 to urge the shutdown of a steel mill next to their campus, which has caused great harm to the health of local residents.
The Jingzhou district government has cut off the power supply to the Chuhang Steel Mill, a scrap metal processor, which was forced to cease production.
The factory, about 500 meters away from the campus when it was built in 2007, is only 300 meters away from the school after years of expansion, said Xia Meifang, spouse of a teacher, on November 7.
It has been "invading" the campus with toxic gas, dust and annoying noise since 2009, and many teachers and students are suffering from headaches, leukemia, pharyngitis and other chronic diseases because of the pollutants , added Xia.
Teachers have complained eight times to various levels of government over the past four years but failed to get any feedback. They had no choice but to kneel down in front of the government offices, raising a banner reading "It is a constitutional right to defend the life and health of the teachers and students."
Zhang Chunbai, 78, a resident in this area for ten years, said that most of the original residents had moved away because of the serious pollution.
Local government has taken actions against the factory, said Yang Jianguo, an official with the Jingzhou district government. The factory was asked to bring forward a rectification plan, which will be assessed by environmental protection experts. If it fails the evaluation, the factory will be shut down, according to Yang.
