The Politics of Waste Management in Greater China by Natalie Wai Man Wong

Author:Natalie Wai Man Wong [Wong, Natalie Wai Man]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, Public Policy, City Planning & Urban Development, Public Affairs & Administration, Social Science, Ethnic Studies, American, Asian American Studies, Regional Studies, Technology & Engineering, Environmental, Waste Management
ISBN: 9781000374865
Google: Gh4gEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2021-04-20T05:07:12+00:00

In the analytical terms of ACF, two coalitions are found in the anti-incinerator activism in Panyu case, ‘Pro-incinerator’ and ‘Anti-incinerator’ coalitions, with different policy beliefs. Similar to the case of Beijing Liulitun, the coalitions of Panyu have been struggling with the concerns between urban management and sustainable development for the next generation. The ‘Pro-incinerator’ coalition comprised municipal and district government officials, and scientists, who support the build of incinerator for reducing the municipal waste volume in the city; while the ‘Anti-incinerator’ coalition was formed by residents, journalist, ‘anti-burn’ scientist, environmentalists, and environmental lawyer. They expressed their concerns over the impacts of building incinerator to the health and the environment; in addition, the government never informed the incinerator plan to the residents nearby and the residents have not been invited to participate in the decision-making process. The competing coalitions used both scientific and technological information to revise policy objectives in the policy-oriented learning process.

Panyu, a highly urbanised district in the south-east of Guangzhou, was the proposed location for an incinerator. Panyu covers an area of 1,314 km2 and had a population of 1.8 million in 2011. Several landmarks are found in this district, including Guangzhou University and Chimelong Xiangjiang Safari Park. In addition, various famous and new residential complexes, such as Riverside Garden, Clifford Estates, and Huanan Country Garden are located in this district within 6 km of the proposed incinerator site. The closest residential area to the proposed site is just 1 km away. The Panyu district government posted the plans for the incinerator project in February 2009, with the expectation that construction would be completed in 2010. The municipal government cited the Likeng incinerator in the Baiyun district as an ‘outstanding example’, and claimed in their promotional materials that the proposed incinerator would use the same technology. Initially, the proposal did not receive much attention from local residents (Kuo and Chen 2011:102).

In September 2009, the Municipal Urban Management Bureau confirmed the incinerator project and the land was requisitioned while the EIA was launched. The residents learned from a government website that a waste incinerator power plant was going to be built, and posted the information on an online residential discussion forum, ‘Jiangwaijiang’ (江外江論壇, www.rg-gd.net/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=12) that opposed the incinerator project. The news spread quickly and several online discussion forums posted the same message protesting the incinerator construction. The information on the government website revealed that the Panyu district government had proposed and approved the construction of a waste-to-energy incinerator in 2004, and that the Guangzhou Planning Bureau had approved the location in 2006, without the residents’ knowledge. The government had not consulted the public, from the time of implementation through the time of approval. The residents also learned that the proposed location was less than 6 km from residential complexes. In the following days, the residents sat together to study the incinerator’s effects and discussed what, if any, action to take. Later, on 13 and 14 October 2009, the residents took to the streets of the district with a petition and distributed handbills about the problems associated with incinerators, seeking public support.

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