Hongyanhe nuclear power station in NE China

“…He also brought evidence of frequent discharges of radioactive waste into Gansu water-ways. Sun lost his job in 1994, but kept advocating on behalf of sick miners and an endangered environment, which led him to be subjected to numerous arrests, including being detained by security forces for 8 months in 2005. In 2006, the German group Nuclear-Free Future Resistance Award recognized Sun for his extensive advocacy work…”

Xinhua | 2013-2-18 9:40:09
By Agencies

Staff work in the main control room of first unit of Hongyanhe nuclear power station near Wafangdian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Feb. 17, 2013. The Hongyanhe nuclear power station, the first nuclear power plant and largest energy project in northeast China, started operation on Sunday afternoon.

Construction on the first phase of the project, which features four power generation units to be built at a cost of 50 billion yuan (7.96 billion US dollars), began in 2007 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. The four units will generate 30 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity annually by then.

Construction on the second phase of the project, which features two power generation units to be built with an investment of 25 billion yuan, started in May 2010 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. The power plant will generate 45 billion kwh of electricity after it is fully completed in 2016. (Xinhua)

Photo taken on Aug. 9, 2012 shows the first unit of Hongyanhe nuclear power station near Wafangdian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

Photo taken on July 12, 2012 shows the Hongyanhe nuclear power station near Wafangdian, northeast

China’s Liaoning Province.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/762163.shtml

2A Call for Transparency: China’s Emerging Anti-Nuclear Movement

2007

This commentary discuses the environmental implications of China’s increasing reliance on nuclear energy and the fledgling anti-nuclear movement in the country. Concerns about China’s nuclear era have triggered concerns among citizens and environmentalists across China who are not involved in the decision-making process. The author concludes that with increased knowledge and capacity, a full- fledged Chinese anti-nuclear movement could be in the making.

Northwest China—A Legacy of
Nuclear Wasteland
Northwestern China, particularly Xinjiang and Qinghai, has for decades been the site of nuclear
weapon testing and uranium mining, which even government documents have identified as the source
of higher cancer rates and other illnesses among people living close to the sites.1 Such testing also has taken an ecological toll; for example, in Xinjiang,
Lake Lop Nor was wiped off the map due to nuclear testing and related human activities. In Gansu Province, uranium mining and corruption within military mining companies have produced grave human and ecological tragedies.
According to Sun, a former miner at Gansu’s most important uranium mine Project 792, improper handling of radioactive material from the mine has led to contamination of water and soil and a sharp rise in incidences of cancerous tumors, leukemia, birth defects, and miscarriages in the surrounding communities (HRIC, 2005). The surrounding area has become devoid of wildlife, and livestock suffer from high death rates, most likely linked to contaminated water. Since 1988, Sun has repeatedly traveled to Beijing to report on corrupt officials stealing government funding meant to clean up the mines and relocate uranium miners and their families away from the mines.

He also brought evidence of frequent discharges of radioactive waste into Gansu water-ways. Sun lost his job in 1994, but kept advocating on behalf of sick miners and an endangered environment, which led him to be subjected to numerous arrests, including being detained by security forces for 8 months in 2005. In 2006, the German group Nuclear-Free Future Resistance Award recognized Sun for his extensive advocacy work.2