VZCZCXRO6618
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RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHGZ #0570/01 2720742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290742Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0961
INFO RUEHGZ/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE 0273
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0755
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0211
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0221
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0212
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RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0204
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE 0024
RHMFIUU/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC 0034
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0260
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC 0256
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5// 0022

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000570 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND OES/PCI 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PHUM ECON PGOV CH
SUBJECT: Another Fujian Community Grapples with Unwanted Wastewater 
Treatment Plant 
 
REF A) Guangzhou 553 and previous 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000570  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  Residents of Chang'an Village oppose government 
plans to build a wastewater treatment plant in their community.  But 
unlike villagers of Fengwei Township who have responded with a 
violent protest (reftels), the Chang'an villagers have sought the 
guidance of a Fuzhou-based environmental NGO and are exploring legal 
measures to protect their community.   The Chang'an villagers' 
willingness to consider legal measures stems from earlier, 
successful collaboration with the environmental NGO in utilizing the 
courts to deal with a polluting enterprise in 2008.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On September 18, a ConGen staff member joined eight Fujian 
Green Home staff members and volunteers in visiting Chang'an, a 
village located approximately 20 miles from Fujian's capital city of 
Fuzhou.  Chang'an is situated on the banks of the Min Jiang River 
where the river enters the East China Sea. The village is a 
comparatively wealthy one; its economy is boosted by remittances 
sent from abroad.  Villagers estimate that of the 6,000 households 
in the village, 5,000 have at least one family member in the United 
States.  The primary purpose of the Green Home visit to Chang'an was 
to discuss villager concerns about a proposed wastewater treatment 
plant. 
 
Visiting the Proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant Site 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Escorted by three villagers, the Green Home delegation 
visited the site proposed for the wastewater treatment plant and an 
existing, nearby water reservoir.  The water reservoir provides 
drinking water for the village and has done so for many years. 
Villagers expressed concern over plans to build the wastewater 
treatment facility immediately adjacent to the reservoir.  They fear 
that that the wastewater treatment plant will contaminate the water 
reservoir.  One villager noted that the government originally 
planned to locate the wastewater treatment plant only 50 meters from 
the reservoir. After strong protests from the villagers, the 
planners moved the site of the plant back an additional 50 meters. 
The villagers feel that this is still too close.  The Green Home 
participants noted that Green Home had effectively intervened on a 
separate issue relating to the water reservoir.  When a high speed 
rail bridge was built over the reservoir, the railway contractor 
originally planned to allow runoff from the railway bridge to fall 
directly into the water reservoir.  After a meeting in which Green 
Home conveyed the villagers' concerns, the contractor agreed to 
install a drainage pipe to collect and direct wastewater from the 
passing trains into a nearby sewage drain. 
 
Not In My Backyard 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) During an animated discussion-turned-debate, villagers 
described their concerns regarding the wastewater treatment plant. 
They expressed fears the plant will pollute the village's 
environment and emit foul odors.  Green Home delegation members 
encouraged the villagers to use environment-related laws and 
regulations to make a case that the plant's location is too close to 
the drinking water reservoir.  Green Home participants also 
suggested testing the reservoir's water to establish benchmarks by 
which contamination could be measured in the future.   Villagers 
responded that they didn't want to find out, only when it was too 
late, that the plant presented pollution risks to the water 
reservoir.  Rather, they hoped to avert problems by having the plant 
location changed now.  Villagers also expressed concerns that since 
a growing number of factories are being built in the area, the 
wastewater treatment plant may not be up to the task of handling 
industrial wastes if it is designed and built to handle only 
residential wastewater. 
 
Seeking the Advice of Experts 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Green Home representatives encouraged the villagers to visit 
nearby wastewater treatment plants currently in operation and talk 
to residents who live around the plants and to officials who operate 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000570  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the plants in order to learn how the wastewater is handled. The 
Green Home representatives also encouraged the villagers to ask 
local environmental protection bureau officials to provide a 
briefing to the villagers about existing regulations and laws 
designed to protect the rights of residents in the community. 
 
¶6.  (U) The discussion took an unexpected turn when a villager 
showed the Green Home representatives a copy of the government's 
environmental impact assessment for the wastewater treatment plant. 
Villagers admitted that they didn't really understand the document. 
Green Home's science consultants helped the villagers to go over 
some of the conclusions in the report.  One of the report's 
conclusions was that the village's water reservoir should be 
abandoned for water safety reasons and that water for the village 
should be supplied by building a new, underground pipe from another 
reservoir.  Green Home representatives urged the villagers to 
continue to study the report closely and advise Green Home of any 
additional questions.  Green Home specialists plan to make another 
visit to discuss villager concerns. 
 
¶7.  (U) During the later part of the discussion the local party 
secretary dropped by.  The villagers appeared to welcome his 
presence and participation in the discussion, which continued 
largely unaffected by his arrival.  The party secretary noted that 
he welcomed the Green Home visit.  He also encouraged the villagers 
to study the environmental impact assessment and to continue their 
fact-finding efforts by having further discussions with Green Home 
and environment officials and experts. 
 
A "Green Countryside" Model Village 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Chang'an village's collaboration with Fujian Green Home 
dates back to 2008, when villagers became alarmed about pollution 
from a bio-diesel chemical plant located a few hundred meters 
northeast of the village.  Villagers accused the plant of illegally 
discharging pollutants directly into the Min Jiang River.  Green 
Home provided assistance in measuring and monitoring the river's 
water quality and advice on seeking legal remedies.  With this 
assistance, villagers were able to use the courts to resolve the 
problem.  Following this experience, Chang'an became what Green Home 
called a "Green Countryside" model village.  In addition to 
providing Chang'an residents with advice on environmental issues, 
the close collaboration allows Green Home personnel to study and 
better understand the drastic structural changes occurring as rural 
areas become increasingly industrialized. Green Home experts noted 
that polluting industries are often attracted to rural areas where 
they generally find a more lax enforcement of environmental 
regulations and a greater tolerance for pollution on the part of the 
comparatively uninformed rural residents.  The Green Home 
representatives commended the growing sense of environmental 
awareness displayed by Chang'an villagers, and the Green Home 
representatives expressed a hope that other rural villages in 
Fujian's coastal area can replicate Chang'an's success in 
confronting polluting enterprises by using legal measures. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Comment:  The Chang'an case demonstrates the constructive 
role that a non-governmental organization can play in providing 
information and expert advice.  This, in turn, allows residents to 
make more informed decisions regarding their responses to 
environmental issues that impact their community.  Unfortunately, 
most local NGOs have resource and personnel constraints that limit 
their reach--especially to rural areas.  End comment. 
 
GOLDBECK