Yuxi is a small village from She-tian-qiao Town of Shaodong County. It used to be famous for the high quality of its chestnuts and radishes. Now no one wants the chestnuts and radishes from Yuxi. Since 2003 more than 30 people from Yuxi have died from cancer. Previously, cancer was very rare in the village. The villagers believe that this change started when the Xinlong glassworks factory moved to the village.
A reporter observed that the factory was near the village’s farmland. Almost everything within eyesight was contaminated by the pollution from waste water having a dark-black color. Villagers told reporters that, after Xinlong built the factories, highly polluted sewage water was discharged into the river almost every day.
Since 2007, the villagers have been collecting a lot of evidence that Xinlong glassworks illegally discharged sewage. They reported the discharge to the environmental protection department, but never got a reply.
Villagers went to the Shaodong EPA to appeal. Wang Xiran, head of Shaodong EPA, told them, “Xinlong glass factory does have pollution, but with the tens of millions they produce each year, it is not something we can close just because we want to."
Source: Xinhua, June 28, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-06/28/c_123342343.htm