Residents of the Shekou district of Shenzhen have voiced their concerns over a plan by the Hong Kong government to build a waste incinerator across the sea from where they live.

According to a government report submitted to the Hong Kong Legislative Council last month, two sites - Tsang Tsui Ash Lagoon in Tuen Mun and Shek Kwu Chau in south Lantau - have been identified as potential locations.

The plant, which will have the capacity to handle 3,000 tons of garbage per day, will also be used to generate electricity. It is due to become operational in 2015.

Tsang Tsui Ash Lagoon is said to be the preferred site due to its isolated location away from Hong Kong's main residential areas. However, just 5 km across the sea sits Shekou.

Ao Jiannan, who works for a nongovernmental organization concerned with the protection of the Nantou Peninsula on which Shekou is located, expressed his concerns.

He told the Southern Metropolis Daily that the negative impact of the trash-fueled power plant would be much greater on the people of Shekou than on those living in Hong Kong.

"As a responsible metropolitan city, Hong Kong should take the concerns of Shenzhen people fully into account," he said.

Although the Hong Kong government has promised to use state-of-the-art thermal technologies and comply with stringent emission standards, residents in Shekou are worried the incinerator will generate harmful gases, the newspaper said.

(China Daily February 27, 2008)