About 5,000 people protest rumored Shanghai chemical plant

Protesters march in Ningbo city in Zhejiang province, demonstrating against the proposed expansion of a petrochemical factory

At least 5,000 residents of a Shanghai suburb protested yesterday over a report that a petrochemical plant may be moved to their neighborhood, although authorities dismissed the report as untrue.
The protest reflected growing public concern about the environmental impact of projects such as petrochemical plants, as well as the public’s deep distrust of local governments.
Over the past several years, residents of many Chinese cities have taken to the streets to oppose environmentally hazardous projects, a method they believe to be the most effective in influencing local officials who often shut the public out of decision-making.
Under police watch, thousands of demonstrators gathered yesterday evening outside the local government compound in Jinshan district, holding up banners and chanting slogans against the possible relocation of a paraxylene plant to a planned chemical zone in Jinshan. Paraxylene is a hazardous chemical used to produce fibers and plastics.
The district government issued a statement saying the plant, now in Pudong district, would not be relocated but closed down.
The government held a public session earlier yesterday at which officials assured residents that the planned chemical zone would be properly managed. It also urged the public not to assemble illegally and not to believe in rumors or spread them.
Exposure to paraxylene can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. In April, six people were hospitalized after an explosion at a paraxylene plant in Fujian province. AP