Shenzhen lawmakers back fight against expansion of Tuen Mun landfill

Nearly half of Shenzhen's lawmakers have signed a petition against Hong Kong's proposed Tuen Mun landfill expansion - an unprecedented protest that could strain cross-border ties.

Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress deputy Yang Qin , a leading opponent of the landfill expansion, said yesterday that almost 200 of the city's 404 lawmakers had backed the call for Hong Kong to reconsider the project and any others like it along the border.

Another 200 district-level representatives, dozens of influential industrial associations and more than a million Shenzhen residents have joined the campaign since a fire at the landfill in November sent noxious smoke wafting north of the border.

"It would be the biggest public awareness campaign of its kind ever, with so many local lawmakers joining the petition," said Yang. "The Hong Kong government should treat our voices very seriously. If it continues to ignore Shenzhen's concerns, such a policy can result only in lifting a rock to drop it on your own toes."

Yang predicted most of the remaining lawmakers would sign up in time for the annual sessions of the people's congress and the city's political advisory body next week, at which the landfill project could be a big topic of discussion.

The Shenzhen campaign represents a turnabout in the regional environmental debate, in which Hongkongers have long complained about pollution drifting over from the mainland.

The Tuen Mun project would cost HK$9 billion and double the near-capacity landfill to 400 hectares. It is one of three expansions proposed by the Hong Kong government until a planned rubbish incinerator is built.