Ministry sued for failing to provide pollution data
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E-mail China Daily, April 5, 2012
The ministry did not comment. The case is seen by environmentalists and lawyers as signifying a rising awareness of environmental protection by the public. Very few people have sued the ministry for failing to provide pollution information.
"It's the first time a victim of a waste incineration factory has stood up to fight for his rights," said Liu Jinmei, a lawyer with the China University of Political Science and Law's Postgraduate Legal Assistance Center. "His efforts indicate a growing awareness of safeguarding the rights of victims of pollutants."
The center is helping Xie draft indictment documents.
The Hai'an bureau of environmental protection said it did not release much information about the plant because "we can only release some of the information for fear of leaking business secrets".
"We are just acting according to regulations," said Gu Shihe, director of the bureau.
Gu said the bureau asked the city and provincial environmental protection authorities for instructions, but they did not reply.
Xie said he has spent 80,000 yuan ($12,700) to treat his son, a huge amount for a family that earns about 3,000 yuan a month.
Green Beagle, a Beijing-based non-governmental environmental protection organization, has helped Xie raise 7,200 yuan in donations.
But the money raised so far is still far from enough to cover medical bills and further treatment for his son, said Chen Liwen, a researcher with Green Beagle.
Liu said she hoped Xie's case could help enhance people's awareness of the potential hazard of incineration plants, which are mushrooming across the country to deal with the growing amount of household garbage.
Incineration plants, which use less land than landfills, are generally safe, but strict supervision must be imposed to make sure they are operated in accordance with regulations, said Mao Da, an expert in solid-waste management at Beijing Normal University.
Dioxins, which may cause cancer, may be released if an incinerator fails under a high temperature, Mao said.
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