On January 6, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) received the notice of acceptance of the environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) case filed by CBCGDF in Gansu Province's Minqin County, Wuwei City, and other litigation materials.
Not long ago, CBCGDF received feedback from volunteers that there is a 260-meter-long bridge completed and put into use upstream of Hongyashan Reservoir in Minqin County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province. The slope protection of the bridge has obvious water damage caused by erosion, and the construction plan of the bridge seems to compress the section of the original riverbed. CBCGDF then applied for government information disclosure to the relevant departments and received feedback. It was learned that before the bridge was built, it did not perform the environmental impact assessment and the approval procedures.
As a reservoir in Asia's largest desert, Hongyashan Reservoir has an extremely important ecological status, but its ecological environment is also very fragile. Cherishing the surrounding ecological environment of the reservoir and scientifically and cautiously carrying out construction and development activities around the reservoir are important links for the rational use of Hongyashan Reservoir. The bridge was not completed in accordance with the environmental impact assessment and the approval procedures were completed. Once put into use, and as a transportation channel for chemical raw material mining, production and sales companies in the surrounding area, it will likely cause river water pollution and affect irrigation. There is also a danger that the cross section of the riverbed will be compressed, preventing flooding.
CBCGDF attaches great importance to this situation. After the discussion and analysis by the legal working group of CBCGDF, the relevant evidence was combed and organized in detail. According to the relevant provisions of the Gansu Provincial Environmental Resources Case on Cross-Regional Central Jurisdiction, CBCGDF submitted it to the Mining District People's Court of complaint and evidence materials, for the companies involved in the filed civil environmental public interest litigation. The case has now been accepted by the court. This case, as another preventive public interest litigation case, was successfully filed in Gansu Province, and it is of great significance to implement the concept of "adhering to the strictest system, the strictest rule of law, and protecting the ecological environment" in western regions with very fragile ecological environments. CBCGDF will continue to publish relevant progress in the case.
(Photo credit: CBCGDF)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4857/10942.html
By / Maggie