Ministry approves environmental impact report on hydro project
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="yearlong">yearlong</span> <span word="assessment">assessment</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="controversial">controversial</span> <span word="Shuangjiangkou">Shuangjiangkou</span> <span word="hydropower">hydropower</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="southwestern">southwestern</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="approval">approval</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>, <span word="prompting">prompting</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="campaigners">campaigners</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="residents">residents</span>.</p><p><span word="Despite">Despite</span> <span word="critics">critics</span> <span word="claiming">claiming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dam">dam</span> - <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="reaches">reaches</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Dadu">Dadu</span> <span word="River">River</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="province">province</span> - <span word="would">would</span> <span word="affect">affect</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="quality">quality</span>, <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="fish">fish</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="nature">nature</span> <span word="reserves">reserves</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="submerged">submerged</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ministry">Ministry</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Environmental">Environmental</span> <span word="Protection">Protection</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="assessment">assessment</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="light">light</span>.</p><p><span word="China">China</span> <span word="Guodian">Guodian</span> <span word="Corp">Corp</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="invested">invested</span> 24.68 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="yuan">yuan</span> ($4 <span word="billion">billion</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hydropower">hydropower</span> <span word="project">project</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="construction">construction</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2008. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="generate">generate</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="installed">installed</span> <span word="capacity">capacity</span> <span word="of">of</span> 2,000 <span word="megawatts">megawatts</span>.</p><p><span word="Its">Its</span> <span word="reservoir">reservoir</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> 3,135 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="cubic">cubic</span> <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="catchment">catchment</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="of">of</span> 39,330 <span word="square">square</span> <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span>.</p><p><span word="According">According</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="assessment">assessment</span> <span word="report">report</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plans">plans</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="accordance">accordance</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="plan">plan</span>.</p><p><span word="However">However</span>, <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="Shukun">Shukun</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="Water">Water</span> <span word="Resources">Resources</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Hydropower">Hydropower</span> <span word="Institute">Institute</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="cascading">cascading</span> <span word="dam">dam</span> <span word="projects">projects</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ecological">ecological</span> <span word="system">system</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span>, <span word="thermal">thermal</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="physical">physical</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="flowing">flowing</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="undergo">undergo</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="stilled">stilled</span>, <span word="can">can</span> <span word="seriously">seriously</span> <span word="contaminate">contaminate</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reservoir">reservoir</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="river">river</span> <span word="downstream">downstream</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p>"<span word="That">That</span> <span word="causes">causes</span> <span word="blue">blue</span>-<span word="green">green</span> <span word="algae">algae</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="turbidity">turbidity</span>.</p><p>"<span word="A">A</span> <span word="negative">negative</span> <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="aquatic">aquatic</span> <span word="ecology">ecology</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sediment">sediment</span> <span word="accumulation">accumulation</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="occur">occur</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="deteriorates">deteriorates</span>."</p>
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