Protest in Changhua County to halt construction of petrochem complex by Kuo Kuang

12-May-10

Protests have demanded the government to halt the construction of a petrochemical complex by Kuo Kuang Petrochemical Technology Corp in Changhua County. Residents and environmentalists staged a protest in front of the Ministry of the Interior's Construction and Planning Agency to this effect. No conclusion has been reached by the Construction and Planning Agency on its second review of an application filed by Kuo Kuang for revised land use and development scheduled for this week. The company has not yet disclosed the proposed source of 400,000 tons of water required daily by the petrochemical plant. The ministry originally planned to designate the coastal area in Changhwa one of the nation’s most important wetlands, but that plan was halted by the Council of Economic Planning and Development (CEPD).