Chinese activists collect signatures against proposed power plant in Heyuan in Guangdong
Residents of Heyuan in Guangdong fear the plant will increase air pollution in their city
Heyuan residents yesterday collected signatures for a petition that calls for plans for a new power plant to be scrapped, saying it will bring more smog to the already polluted skies of the northeastern Guangdong city.
Shenzhen Energy is spending 8 billion yuan (HK$10 billion) to build the coal-fired plant, which will generate 11 billion kWh annually.
It is designed to emit less pollution than regular plants, according to local authorities, although the environmental impact assessment report has yet to be made public. The city is home to Xinfengjiang reservoir, a significant source of water for Hong Kong, and already has one coal-fired plant supplying electricity. Construction is due to begin this year, according to local media.
The signature campaign began at 9am and was carried out at 10 locations across the city, according to a volunteer. By 9pm, they had collected more than 30,000 names, other volunteers said.
To avoid being charged with illegal assembly, organisers asked people to walk away after signing. If more than 10 people gathered at a collection point, those waiting their turn were asked to stand some way off.
"All I know is Heyuan started to see smog [after the first power plant started to operate]," said one petitioner, a private tutor. "Money can't buy me and my students clear air."
Others brought their children to the event as "it offered the best lesson in environmental protection".
Another volunteer said many of the residents had been inspired by former CCTV presenter Chai Jing 's documentary , which chronicles the mainland's pollution problems.
"If the documentary had not told us that power plant emissions were one of the major sources of smog, only one in 10 Heyuan citizens would pay attention to the project. Not to mention that the government is deliberately keeping it low-key," she said.
More police and urban maintenance officers than usual were patrolling the area, volunteers said, but most stood at the side and only reminded people to make way for traffic or pedestrians when necessary. "A police officer even gave us a thumbs-up," one person said.
The Shenzhen government is the major shareholder in Shenzhen Energy. Neither the company nor Heyuan municipal officials could be reached for comment yesterday.
Heyuan recorded only 129 days when the air was considered healthy in the first 11 months of last year, less than half the readings in 2013, provincial political consultative conference member Liu Dongbin cited the environment authority as saying during the body's annual plenary session in January.
