Chengdu ethylene plant halts construction over quake safety fears
The controversial ethylene factory comes under scrutiny over safety concerns
Chengdu , the capital of Sichuan province, has halted a controversial chemical plant project amid concerns over its proximity to an earthquake fault line.
"The government insists that it will not allow production at the petrochemical project in Pengzhou to begin prior to a legally required examination," the quoted a statement from a city council meeting on Monday.
The statement came nine days after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Sichuan and killed at least 196 people. The quake reignited concerns over potential health hazards caused by the petrochemical factory in the northwestern suburbs of the city of 14 million.
"We have undertaken a careful investigation into factors affecting social stability," the report said, referring to calls for protests against the plant.
A 33-yer-old woman was arrested on Friday after she called for a protest on May 4 against the plant. In a post on Thursday on her microblog that has since been deleted, she also said the protest had been approved by authorities.
Chengdu Television showed her apologising for posting the siren call during a news broadcast on Friday, but it failed to ease online anger at the plant project and her arrest. Searches for "Pengzhou petrochemical plant" were yesterday blocked on Sina Weibo, the mainland's most popular microblogging platform.
