(November 7, 2000)

(Excerpt)

Beijing: China has suspended approval for 44 proposed industrial plants and rejected plans for another 16 in the first quarter due to concerns that they could threaten the environment, said Pan Yue, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). The plants would have been worth a total of 189.5 bln yuan in investment, according to the bureau’s website. The location of scores of chemical, petrochemical and power plants along major rivers means they still pose a major risk to the environment, according to the bureau’s interim results from a major assessment.

AFX, November 7, 2000