Authorities may push ahead with controversial plans to build seven more incineration plants in Beijing, despite local protests.

Chen Ling, vice director of the Beijing municipal commission of administration, said the plants, including the planned 832 million yuan (US$121 million) Asuwei incineration center in Changping district, did not pose a health risk to residents.

"The technology is ready, and there are no major changes in our policy with the future of certain incineration plants," Chen told a waste treatment symposium on Friday, when asked about the future of the Asuwei plant.

"We are aware of the public disagreement, but it is our job to convince the public of the safety of the incineration technologies at the current level."

Despite this, Wei Panming, vice head of the waste treatment department of the commission, said if the local government did not respond appropriately to public opinion then the project could backfire.

"Asuwei could be the next Liulitun," Wei said, referring to abolished plans for a 1 billion yuan (US$150 million) incineration plant in Haidian district. The Ministry of Environmental Protection called off the project in 2007 after local residents and legislators protested.

The seven incineration plants will be placed in different residential neighborhoods in Beijing.

Since August, residents in salubrious Xiaotangshang have rallied against plans to build a 20 sq km waste treatment plant being near their community.

Locals say they are concerned about a potential leak of the toxic chemical dioxin, a byproduct of burning plastic. Four residents were temporarily detained after a protest in Beijing on Sept 4.

Plans to build the Asuwei incineration plant are being assessed for their environmental impact by two Beijing-based institutions.

Experts at the institution told METRO that the project would not go ahead if it fails the assessment.

Professor Liu Yangsheng, an expert with the environmental science and engineering department at Peking University, said if the project passed the assessment, the owners must still ensure each procedure at the plant did not produce excessive levels of dioxin.

"Major projects in Beijing all apply the most stringent standards in the world - limiting dioxin emission below 0.1 ng-TEQ/m3 - but they must keep watch during daily running," said Liu at the symposium.

Residents near the planned Asuwei plant Sunday said authorities may have "secretly put down the project".

"They haven't denied the project is gone," said Guo Wei, a resident of Xiaotangshan. "They may pause the project for the time being, because they know they can't take thousands of homeowners in Beijing all by themselves."

The official Chen Ling said authorities would enhance communication with residents and release more helpful data.

Beijing's 20 million residents produce nearly 20,000 tons of garbage each day and the amount has overburdened its 23 waste treatment plants.

Apart from reducing waste, the municipal government also decided it needs 40 plants, including nine incineration plants, by 2015, with a total cost of 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion).

(China Daily November 2, 2009)