Public interests or economic growth?
In response to the people's demands, the municipal government of Dalian shut down the controversial Fujia Chemical Plant on August 16.
Calls to relocate the plant mounted after large waves whipped up by tropical storm Muifa breached a dike near the plant earlier this month.
"It's a time bomb," said one of the protestors, surnamed Wang.
The dike was built to protect the plant from floodwaters. Residents have been concerned that a flood could damage the plant and cause it to release toxic chemicals.
The plant, one of China's largest PX producers, went into operation in 2009 and is capable of producing 700,000 tons of the compound annually, according to the company's website. The plant contributes 2 billion yuan ($311 million) to the local government in taxes every year.
The PX plant was a priority development in Liaoning, as part of a massive campaign to revitalize China's rusty industrial belt in the northeast.
Since June 2009, Dalian residents have occasionally gathered in the city's square to protest the local government's move to accept the plant after the coastal cities of Shanghai, Xiamen and Qingdao had all rejected it due to environmental concerns.
Although the decision by the Dalian government to shut down and relocate the Fujia chemical plant eased the citizens' tension to some extent, they still worry about the undisclosed relocation timetable and where the factory will finally be built.
The petrochemical industry involves high energy consumption and high emissions, as well as safety risks, said an anonymous professor with the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in Dalian.
An oil pipeline exploded near a Dalian crude oil storage port in July of last year. The explosion caused an oil spill of at least 60,000 tons, contaminating sea waters which may need decades to recover.
The explosion gave the people of Dalian an unprecedented warning. A municipal government official said it was fortunate for Dalian that the explosion did not ignite the PX and crude oil storage tanks nearby.
The highly centralized layout of plants, especially those located so close to the city, will no doubt seriously affect the urban environment. However, the issue was apparently not one of the local government's priorities, he said.
