China's biggest garlic extract factory has been accused of polluting Xiangjiang River in central China's Hunan Province for more than seven years.

Villagers living near Jingtian Technical Co Ltd in Wangcheng County have died of cancer, liver failure or stomach bleeding after the company began making garlic extract in 2001.

The extract is used as an additive to pig feed. One of its ingredients, chloropropylene, can be harmful to human and may cause environmental pollution.

Fish farmer Chen Lifang, whose home was 3 meters from the plant, moved house after the fish in the river all died. Fang Wenkai, from neighboring Shutangshan Village, said that one rainy night the factory poured waste out of a window, killing all the plants nearby. Fang's two cows died after eating grass near the factory, but the company denied responsibility.

After complaints from villagers, Wangcheng's environmental protection bureau fined Jingtian several times and ordered it to suspend production.

The company spent 3 million yuan (US$440,000) to renovate its workshop and build a waste-water drainage system in 2004. Its General Manager Zhou Jiancheng said waste-water drainage was zero after the refurbishment.

However, a water sample test on May 22 last year showed water from the plant was polluting Xiangjiang River, said Xu Kezhu, vice director of the non-profit Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims at China's University of Political Science and Law. Xu and his colleagues found many problems with Jingtian's environmental impact assessment after villagers asked the center for assistance.

Changsha's environment watchdog issued a statement on July 17, saying the factory had met environment protection standards and there was no evidence of pollution.

The plant had been asked to close several times, but never stopped its production, according to Legal Daily. The company has now been ordered to move its factory from the village.

(Shanghai Daily July 21, 2008)