http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/world/asia/20gorges.html?_r=1&ref=china
China Admits Problems With Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam faces problemsinvolving pollution and geological disaster prevention. By MICHAEL WINES Published: May 19, 201a1
BEIJING — The Three Gorges Dam, the world’slargest hydroelectric project and a symbol of China’s confidence in riskytechnological solutions, is troubled by urgent pollution and geologic problems,a high-level government body acknowledged Thursday. Related
Central China Hit by Drought, as ReservoirsBecome ‘Dead Water’ (May 17, 2011) Green Column: Hydropower’s Resurgence andthe Controversy Around It (May 16, 2011) The statement came as technicians werecertifying the very last of the dam’s array of generators as suitable forhydroelectric generation, the final step in a contentious 19-year effort tocomplete the project in defiance of domestic and international concerns overits safety as well as threats to the environment, displaced people, historical areasand natural beauty.
According to official figures, the venturecost China about $23 billion, but outside experts estimate it may have costdouble that amount. The dam has been plagued by reports of floatingarchipelagoes of garbage, carpets of algae and landslides on the banks alongthe vast expanse of still water since the 600-foot-tall dam on the YangtzeRiver was completed in 2006. Critics also have complained that the governmenthas fallen far short of its goals in helping to resettle the 1.4 million peopledisplaced by the rising waters behind the dam.
China’s State Council, a coordinating bodyoften likened to the United States president’s cabinet, said in a vaguestatement that the project suffered from a wide range of serious problems.“Although the Three Gorges project provides huge comprehensive benefits, urgentproblems must be resolved regarding the smooth relocation of residents,ecological protection and geological disaster prevention,” the statement said.
The huge dam is meeting the government’sgoal of producing pollution-free electric power, the government said,generating 84 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. But critics saythe sheer weight of water backed up in the 410-mile-long reservoir behind thedam has increased the danger of earthquakes and landslides. The government hasacknowledged that risk, but denied that the project played any role in China’spowerful May 2008 quake in Sichuan Province, in which at least 87,000 peopledied.
Environmentalists say the lake has become arepository for the waste dumped by cities and industries.
Even the dam’s ability to regulate thenotoriously changeable flow of the 3,900-mile-long Yangtze, one of China’s twomajor rivers, has been called into question. Faced with a historic drought thisspring, cities downstream of the dam have been unable to accommodate oceangoingvessels that usually visit their ports, and about 400,000 residents of HubeiProvince lost access to drinking water this month.
Although no link has been proved, criticssay the dam has changed regional water tables, contributing to the shortage.
The government statement on the dam wasreleased after a meeting led by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, seen by manyoutsiders as more responsive to average citizens’ complaints than many othersin the nation’s leadership. The statement said that some problems wereanticipated during the dam’s construction, but that others “arose because ofnew demands posed by economic and social development.”
China’s rulers may be most concerned by theimpact of the dam on the displaced masses, many of whom appear to have failedto rebuild their lives after being evicted from the land covered by thereservoir. By 2020, the statement promised, displaced residents would enjoyliving standards equal to those who had not been displaced.
The Three Gorges project has been dogged byskeptics, even within China’s bureaucracy, since it was approved in 1992.Environmentalists said it would destroy a stunning landscape of limestonecliffs regarded as one of the world’s most scenic sites, and skeptics warnedthat the new lake would lead to geologic and pollution problems.
Orville Schell, an environmental expert wholeads the Asia Society’s Center on United States-China Relations, said he hopedthat the government’s statement signaled a commitment to address the dam’sproblems.
“There’s a kind of a balance sheet of benefits and liabilities thathave come out of this project,” Mr. Schell said. “My sense is that the Chinesegovernment is getting better and better at collecting information about thingslike this.” He added, “They know if they don’t fix these problems there will bedire consequences.”
A version of this article appeared in printon May 20, 2011, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: ChinaAdmits ‘Urgent Problems’ With Massive Dam on Yangtze.
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