In the morning of July 31st, pretrial conference of the environmental public interest litigation filed by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) against Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO) and its branch in Guizhou was held in the People’s Court of Qingzhen (a county-level city of Guiyang, Guizhou province). This is the first Chinese environmental public interest litigation field for ground subsidence caused by mining. Since it was litigated in March of 2016, the case has been heard at the first instance and the second instance. Currently, the court remands the case for trial.

The counsel for the plaintiff illustrated the emergency of the case and appealed to pay attention to the living condition of villagers who are living in the fear of collapse which could happen at any time under their feet. However, the counsel for CHALCO expressed that only law should be considered at the court rather than sympathy, and the case has caused a great effect on its reputation. 

We would like to ask CHALCO: will you still be composed if your parents and relatives live in such houses? Do you forget the explosion in Xiangshui? It is serious casualties incurred by housing collapse that pose significant and irretrievable damage to CHALCO, not environmental public interest litigation.

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4857/9428.html

By / Wang Yanqing