Approval of BASF MDI project in Chongqing will have disastrous consequences
2011-4-12 16:08 | of: tough country girl | Source: Mao Zedong Flag Net | Views: 14130 | replies: 69
How could the large-scale chemical production of the compound MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) with an annual output of 400,000 tons and which has the potential to create a catastrophic explosion be approved for the Changshou District of Chongqing in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges reservoir area?
Of: an old revolutionary
On March 29, 2011, the "China Chemical Industry News" 4th edition "International Chemical Industry” reported that the "BASF MDI project has been approved in Chongqing." It reads as follows: On March 25, BASF announced "The project to produce 400,000 tons of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) per year in Chongqing, China has been approved, the total investment will reach 80 billion yuan, the base will mainly produce raw materials for polyurethane foam core, it is expected to put into operation during the year 2014."
"According to reports, after stringent environmental, health and safety standard audits, as well as local public consultation and several rounds of expert review, the project finally received the relevant Chinese government official approval. The Project will have equipment and components for facilities producing MDI, nitro benzene, and aniline, at the integrated chemical production complex at the heart of the Chongqing (Changshou) Chemical Industrial Park"
Dr. Brudermueller, an executive board member of BASF Europe responsible for Asian Pacific business, said: "The development of inland regions of Chongqing located at the Chongqing Developmental Center will help BASF invest in one of the world's largest MDI markets of the future. In the process of construction and operation of the project we will use world-class safety and environmental standards and make sure that our production facilities operate in a manner that will directly improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This investment will let us lead the way towards developing western China and will support the Chinese government's push for the rapid and sustainable development of it's western region"
"It is reported that, in addition to the integrated MDI production facilities, BASF will also build a new plant to produce auxiliary polyurethane materials at the Chongqing location to meet the growing demand for these products in the construction, household appliances, transportation, and footwear industries, and other important growing markets "
The origin of this project are: In 2006, BASF put into operation in Shanghai a MDI plant that produced an annual output of 84,000 tons of MDI used in the production of polyurethane plastics, polyurethane elastomer, and the manufacture of artificial leather and non-solvent paints, etc. The project received a handsome profit and the company originally wanted to build on this base and expand the projects output and scale of production. However, because the raw materials and intermediate products used in the production process, especially phosgene COC12 (carbonyl chloride), are highly toxic and have great impact on the surrounding environment, and since the plant had already surpassed targeted environmental indicators, it was determined not to agree to continue the expansion of production in Shanghai. Soon thereafter, when a number of Shanghai officials were transferred to Chongqing they brought the project with them. The Chongqing Changshou Chemical Industry Park will be built as a world-class chemical industry cluster using new materials in an integrated program.
The project will be one of the top 4 in the world and push the heavy chemical industry in Chongqing to the world frontier: the installation will have the largest single set of natural gas processing capacity; the largest single set installation for isocyanate production and the most efficient installation for integrated petrochemical and natural gas production; the most efficient devices for natural gas resource utilization with a total investment of 33 billion yuan, while production output will reach 50 billion yuan.
Annual output of 400,000 tons of MDI is one of the main targets of the project (ie, BASF said the investment accounted for 8 billion yuan), BASF Corporation will make it one of the world's largest bases for the production of polyurethane plastic materials. BASF can take advantage of cheap Chinese resources, including electricity, water, and other low-cost raw material and human resources, to supply MDI upstream and downstream series of chemical products to supply the domestic and foreign markets.
Because the project will be built on the upper reaches of the Three Gorges reservoir area not far from the Yangtze River the issues involved are many and knowledgeable people have frequently raised multiple objections, so final approval was delayed. After the Chongqing Municipal Committee, the mayor and other leaders conducted multi-layered lobbying efforts a number of department heads gave their consent and support. On September 29, 2009 Jingchu news (AFP),based on an account by the Xinhua news agency reported with much fanfare that Germany's BASF Chongqing MDI project had won the approval of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and had passed the "green tests." In this regard, once the project was published on-line and the dangerous issues associated with it came to light there were immediate calls for the national authorities not to approve the project, as approval would lead to no end of problems. It is now known that before the project received final approval the concerned Chongqing municipal departments violated the provisions of engineering construction, and began leveling work. Personnel in industrial circles are very concerned and deeply worried about the whole matter. Long-term, former leaders and comrades engaged in the chemical industry brought their objections to the attention of the higher authorities and forwarded detailed reports to the CPC Central Committee and State Council, the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee, appealing for a halt to the Changshou BASF Chemical Park in Chongqing and the large-scale MDI chemical project.
The production process for MDI is highly toxic, and is a high hazard, high risk project. There are many different types of layouts for the chemical industry including those overlooking the sea, inland river types, and inland types, each with different production requirements and safety and environmental protection requirements. To deploy such a highly toxic, highly dangerous, high risk project in the Changshou, Chongqing Center. Such a highly toxic, dangerous, high risk project should not be allowed in the Yangtze River Reservoir area. We should adhere to the implementation of environmental protections without compromising safety standards, policies and measures. Protecting the Mother River, the Yangtze is the moral duty of the Party, the people, and especially the people of the Yangtze River Reservoir. Certainly the problems of one should not to shifted to another.
The MDI project itself and the raw materials and intermediate products associated with its production are highly toxic, flammable and explosive, especially the raw materials used throughout the MDI production process. moreover the project's size is enormous, on a scale of several hundred thousand tons. These substances not only in the production process, but also in the reserves of raw materials, flow volume and semi-finished products require a huge amount of storage. The potential leak, fire, or explosion of these substances cannot be immediately ruled out or avoided. (See Annex "on the MDI device profile")
We should not forget one of the worst industrial disasters in human history, the Bhopal, India gas leak incident that occurred in the early morning of December 3, 1984. The U.S. company Union Carbide had established a plant under the auspices of Union Carbide (India) Ltd. in the northern suburbs of Bhopal the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India (specializing in the production aerosol carbaryl and other pesticides. The chemical used in these products is called methyl isocyanate (MIC) a highly toxic gas). The methyl isocyanate liquid steel storage tank at the plant exploded and 40 tons of gas were quickly leaked resulting in the most famous 20th century major industrial disaster.
According to the Indian government's figures the poison released by the gas leak killed 3,500 local people after the first 3 days. However, independent Indian Medical Research Council data show that the number of deaths after the first 3 days in fact reached between 8000 to 10,000, after many years another 25 thousand people died because of complications caused by poison gas. There were 100,000 people living near the plant who got sick from the gas explosion and 30,000 people living in the area who were exposed to contaminated drinking water.
The production process for MDI is highly toxic, and is a high hazard, high risk project. There are many different types of layouts for the chemical industry including those overlooking the sea, inland river types, and inland types, each with different production requirements and safety and environmental protection requirements. To deploy such a highly toxic, highly dangerous, high risk project in the Changshou, Chongqing Center. Such a highly toxic, dangerous, high risk project should not be allowed in the Yangtze River Reservoir area. We should adhere to the implementation of environmental protections without compromising safety standards, policies and measures. Protecting the Mother River, the Yangtze is the moral duty of the Party, the people, and especially the people of the Yangtze River Reservoir. Certainly the problems of one should not to shifted to another.
The MDI project itself and the raw materials and intermediate products associated with its production are highly toxic, flammable and explosive, especially the raw materials used throughout the MDI production process. moreover the project's size is enormous, on a scale of several hundred thousand tons. These substances not only in the production process, but also in the reserves of raw materials, flow volume and semi-finished products require a huge amount of storage. The potential leak, fire, or explosion of these substances cannot be immediately ruled out or avoided. (See Annex "on the MDI device profile")
We should not forget one of the worst industrial disasters in human history, the Bhopal, India gas leak incident that occurred in the early morning of December 3, 1984. The U.S. company Union Carbide had established a plant under the auspices of Union Carbide (India) Ltd. in the northern suburbs of Bhopal the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India (specializing in the production aerosol carbaryl and other pesticides. The chemical used in these products is called methyl isocyanate (MIC) a highly toxic gas). The methyl isocyanate liquid steel storage tank at the plant exploded and 40 tons of gas were quickly leaked resulting in the most famous 20th century major industrial disaster.
According to the Indian government's figures the poison released by the gas leak killed 3,500 local people after the first 3 days. However, independent Indian Medical Research Council data show that the number of deaths after the first 3 days in fact reached between 8000 to 10,000, after many years another 25 thousand people died because of complications caused by poison gas. There were 100,000 people living near the plant who got sick from the gas explosion and 30,000 people living in the area who were exposed to contaminated drinking water.
According to relevant reports the Bhopal, India, gas leak incident has so far resulted in more than 550 thousand deaths from cancer and chemical poisoning resulting in kidney failure, liver disease and other diseases, and more than 200 thousand residents of Bhopal received permanent disabilities. Because of the disaster cancer rates and child mortality rates of local residents are higher than in other Indian cities.
It's been rumored that the concerned central ministries jointly studied the question of whether this project should be built in Chongqing. The original Minister of the State Ministry of Industry is said to have been strongly opposed to the proposal. Moreover, it is said that during the year when the Three Gorges Dam hydropower project was completed regulations were promulgated which prohibited the building of pollution generating projects upstream from the reservoir area.
It may also be asked, has the the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the continued occurrence of aftershocks that registered 6-7 and above which caused the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant unit 4, been properly addressed? The Japanese government, business and technical personnel who confronted the nuclear leak accident were helpless in the face of the crisis. All previous standards, contingency plans, commitments, credibility, etc., lost their aura. Prime Minister Naoto Kan was helpless. The dark shadow of the nuclear leaks has not yet dissipated. Countless people are still in the midst of fear over nuclear radiation and nuclear contamination. Our National Development and Reform Commission does not seem to have drawn any lesson and has approved the construction of a huge project in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing that has potentially great catastrophic consequences. The party and the people have entrusted you with power, why are you so negligent in exercising it?
Why should we connect the Chongqing MDI Project to the Bhopal poison gas leak incident? Because the MDI unit and the unit that produced the catastrophic accident in Bhopal both use phosgene COC12 (which is an asphyxiating poison gas used in World War I, resulting in great casualties) as an intermediate product for the generation of isocyanate and the large scale MDI unit at Chongqing will produce many times more phosgene COC12 gas than the former Bhopal pesticide plant (with an annual production scale of thousands of tons).
The Bhopal gas leak incident occurred over 20 years ago. The modern chemical industry has made great progress in chemical engineering, automation management and control, equipment and parts, but it is difficult to ensure foolproof operations, because all these situations are controlled by people and subject to human error. Even though there are many highly experienced administrators and competent technicians who will give you their unconditional guarantee one can not be so naïve, there are many cases worldwide to show that there is no such thing as an absolute guarantee. the world's many cases that is absolutely guaranteed to be impossible.
The Bhopal gas leak incident occurred over 20 years ago. The modern chemical industry has made great progress in chemical engineering, automation management and control, equipment and parts, but it is difficult to ensure foolproof operations, because all these situations are controlled by people and subject to human error. Even though there are many highly experienced administrators and competent technicians who will give you their unconditional guarantee one can not be so naïve, there are many cases worldwide to show that there is no such thing as an absolute guarantee. the world's many cases that is absolutely guaranteed to be impossible.
At the end of the last century, and the beginning of this century, two American space shuttles crashed. The causes of the crashes were the result of an O-ring failure that led to a fuel leak and subsequent explosion in one case and the loss of tiles from the heat shield on re-entry in the other. A similar accident led to the sinking of a modern Soviet, now Russian, nuclear submarine. In all these instances there was advanced equipment controlled by officers and men who were highly educated and had undergone rigorous training and selection,. Whether it was due to mechanical failure or human error the astronauts were blown up and the sailors are at the bottom of the sea.
It is not only the operation of human error or the sudden failure of equipment or components that cause disasters, there are natural causes as well such as the earthquake fault zone in Sichuan the neighboring province of Chongqing Changshou (the location of the epicenter of previous earthquake occurrences has changed). In case of a seldom seen sudden earthquake; or the occurrence of some other large geologic, climatic or flood disaster, such outside influences could affect the Changshou Chemical Industrial Park leading to a pipeline rupture, damage to the unit may not be preventable and will inevitably occur.
The Chongqing Changshou MDI production unit with its auxiliary up and down stream production facilities is a very large group of installations, if a gas leak occurred somewhere, causing fire or explosion, it may be hard to instantly determine the moment and location of the accident site. A chain reaction could result, first responders could be helpless and puzzled, and even the operators at the scene could immediately fall to the ground because of gas poisoning death.
The greatest threat is to the Three Gorges Dam downstream from the Chongqing Changshou Chemical Industrial Park, the strategic importance of the Three Gorges Dam is well known, anything that poses a danger to the safety of the reservoir's water supply is absolutely unallowable.
The Chongqing Changshou MDI production unit with its auxiliary up and down stream production facilities is a very large group of installations, if a gas leak occurred somewhere, causing fire or explosion, it may be hard to instantly determine the moment and location of the accident site. A chain reaction could result, first responders could be helpless and puzzled, and even the operators at the scene could immediately fall to the ground because of gas poisoning death.
The greatest threat is to the Three Gorges Dam downstream from the Chongqing Changshou Chemical Industrial Park, the strategic importance of the Three Gorges Dam is well known, anything that poses a danger to the safety of the reservoir's water supply is absolutely unallowable.
If once completed a leak or explosion occurs at this engineering project, toxic and harmful substances such as: methanol, formaldehyde, chlorine, hydrogen chloride gas, carbon monoxide gas, hydrogen cyanide gas, phosgene and other toxic gases could be released leading to a large number of deaths, the tragic consequences would be disastrous; benzene, nitrobenzene, etc., and waste water could contaminate the Yangtze River as the inevitable end result, though BASF claims to achieve "zero emissions", is that really possible?
Once an expansive incident occurred, aniline, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and a number of auxiliary chemicals, all of which are toxic and hazardous substances, including waste water used to put out fires could all pour into the Yangtze River and the reservoir area, compromising the safety and security of the reservoir's water supply and the waters of the river downstream, directly affecting the water security of Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Shanghai provinces and the ecological balance and the safety of shipping along the vast Yangtze River, The short term downstream effect on people, livestock, drinking water, and agricultural water would be difficult to solve.
The United States and Japan are two countries which have high technical expertise and strict training, their nuclear power plants have experienced management and operations personnel, yet serious nuclear accidents have occurred there which are all historically documented.
The United States and Japan are two countries which have high technical expertise and strict training, their nuclear power plants have experienced management and operations personnel, yet serious nuclear accidents have occurred there which are all historically documented.
On April 20, 2010, 190 km away from the U.S. south coast in the Gulf of Mexico, a BP oil drilling rig caught on fire, destroying the entire platform and killing 11 employees. For a long time no effective solution was found for stopping the resulting large-scale oil spill. According to Reuters on June 15 daily volume was up to 60 thousand barrels of oil (equivalent to 8219 tons of crude oil), resulting in serious pollution of the Gulf of Mexico sea water, and a disastrous loss of marine life. This big accident has given the world's people pause for thought and has raised many research questions that need to be answered.
It's been rumored that the concerned central ministries jointly studied the question of whether this project should be built in Chongqing. The original Minister of the State Ministry of Industry is said to have been strongly opposed to the proposal. Moreover, it is said that during the year when the Three Gorges Dam hydropower project was completed regulations were promulgated which prohibited the building of pollution generating projects upstream from the reservoir area.
It may also be asked, has the the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the continued occurrence of aftershocks that registered 6-7 and above which caused the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant unit 4, been properly addressed? The Japanese government, business and technical personnel who confronted the nuclear leak accident were helpless in the face of the crisis. All previous standards, contingency plans, commitments, credibility, etc., lost their aura. Prime Minister Naoto Kan was helpless. The dark shadow of the nuclear leaks has not yet dissipated. Countless people are still in the midst of fear over nuclear radiation and nuclear contamination. Our National Development and Reform Commission does not seem to have drawn any lesson and has approved the construction of a huge project in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing that has potentially great catastrophic consequences. The party and the people have entrusted you with power, why are you so negligent in exercising it?
On April 3, 1992, the NPC passed the very controversial Three Gorges building program. The NPC has the power and duty to oversee the work of the government. Doesn't the National People's Congress have the right to question, supervise, oversee, interfere and stop the construction of such a toxic, high hazard, high-risk large-scale chemical project upstream from the Three Gorges Reservoir in Chongqing?
This project needed to be approved by the relevant government departments, moreover this was the first time that BASF made it public. This once again proves the great wisdom put forward by Marx long ago: "With adequate profit, capital is very bold. A certain 10% [profit] will ensure its employment anywhere; 20% certain will produce eagerness; 50%, positive audacity; 100% will make it ready to trample on all human laws; 300%, and there is not a crime at which it will scruple, nor a risk it will not run, even to the chance of its owner being hanged." A correct assessment. It must be acknowledged that most MDI production facilities are built along the seacoast. It must be acknowledged that the Bhopal gas leakage caused 25 thousand direct and 550,000 indirect casualties and more than 200 thousand common people were permanently disabled and are as good as dead. It must be acknowledged that the Japanese government and people are still helpless in confronting the continually developing Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The investment in the Chongqing MDI cluster by the Chongqing municipal government and foreign investors should be stopped. BASF should give up the original plan, and the project should be placed in a coastal area. But reality shows that they cannot stop themselves. In their mind's eye it's a win-win situation, easy money on which they can make a fortune, and the height of plunder. They can come up with all sorts of guarantees and deception approvals regardless of the effect on the life and death of the people. The environmental safety of the mother river of the Chinese people, the Yangtze, and the safety of people's lives and property along it's shores are worthless to them. This fully demonstrates the the Chinese side has sold out China's sovereignty, and the German side has invaded and occupied China's sovereignty. The upper reaches of the China's mother river, the Yangtze is crucial for China's national sovereignty. No doubt about it, these are serious political and strategic problems.
The power that we have entrusted to departments, party branches and people involved at all levels in examining and approving national affairs is not done to give you the authority to review only whether they meet general specifications, standards, and feasibility, and whether the superficial numbers look good, but should be to safeguard the fundamental interests of the nation and people and comprehensively and accurately determine and handle the various interests, of the party, the country, the people and nationalities, and take historical responsibility to better use their power. Regretfully, while the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant leak and the people of the world's minds are still shrouded in darkness, our government departments have not done any reflection and have made a hasty decision to approve the construction. Chongqing which sings “red songs” and cracks down on organized crime why are you silent on this and do nothing? Isn't the development of things based on the people's will, I hope you will not become a big sinner in Chinese history.
We hereby strongly urge the National Development and Reform Commission to immediately withdraw your approval, and called on the NPC concerned about this, be promptly intervene to stop them.
We urgently appeal that the progressive national Web sites, conscientious intellectuals, professionals and other people concerned about this situation, make a positive response, and take emergency action to protect the national interests and the security of the people by making condemnation and conducting appeals.
This project needed to be approved by the relevant government departments, moreover this was the first time that BASF made it public. This once again proves the great wisdom put forward by Marx long ago: "With adequate profit, capital is very bold. A certain 10% [profit] will ensure its employment anywhere; 20% certain will produce eagerness; 50%, positive audacity; 100% will make it ready to trample on all human laws; 300%, and there is not a crime at which it will scruple, nor a risk it will not run, even to the chance of its owner being hanged." A correct assessment. It must be acknowledged that most MDI production facilities are built along the seacoast. It must be acknowledged that the Bhopal gas leakage caused 25 thousand direct and 550,000 indirect casualties and more than 200 thousand common people were permanently disabled and are as good as dead. It must be acknowledged that the Japanese government and people are still helpless in confronting the continually developing Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The investment in the Chongqing MDI cluster by the Chongqing municipal government and foreign investors should be stopped. BASF should give up the original plan, and the project should be placed in a coastal area. But reality shows that they cannot stop themselves. In their mind's eye it's a win-win situation, easy money on which they can make a fortune, and the height of plunder. They can come up with all sorts of guarantees and deception approvals regardless of the effect on the life and death of the people. The environmental safety of the mother river of the Chinese people, the Yangtze, and the safety of people's lives and property along it's shores are worthless to them. This fully demonstrates the the Chinese side has sold out China's sovereignty, and the German side has invaded and occupied China's sovereignty. The upper reaches of the China's mother river, the Yangtze is crucial for China's national sovereignty. No doubt about it, these are serious political and strategic problems.
The power that we have entrusted to departments, party branches and people involved at all levels in examining and approving national affairs is not done to give you the authority to review only whether they meet general specifications, standards, and feasibility, and whether the superficial numbers look good, but should be to safeguard the fundamental interests of the nation and people and comprehensively and accurately determine and handle the various interests, of the party, the country, the people and nationalities, and take historical responsibility to better use their power. Regretfully, while the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant leak and the people of the world's minds are still shrouded in darkness, our government departments have not done any reflection and have made a hasty decision to approve the construction. Chongqing which sings “red songs” and cracks down on organized crime why are you silent on this and do nothing? Isn't the development of things based on the people's will, I hope you will not become a big sinner in Chinese history.
We hereby strongly urge the National Development and Reform Commission to immediately withdraw your approval, and called on the NPC concerned about this, be promptly intervene to stop them.
We urgently appeal that the progressive national Web sites, conscientious intellectuals, professionals and other people concerned about this situation, make a positive response, and take emergency action to protect the national interests and the security of the people by making condemnation and conducting appeals.
In particular the Party Secretary and Mayor of Chongqing Municipality, the party committees of the provinces and cities along the Yangtze River the regional party, government, and military leaders of all departments and all the people should stand up to defend the fundamental interests of the people, the people's long-term stability and security of the front ranks of the Yangtze River Mother River, and resolutely stop the the location of the MDI project in Chongqing.
We strongly urge the Central and the State Council, the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee to immediately and completely negate the the decision to construct the MDI project in Chongqing Changshou. In order to protect the security and prosperity of the people's lives, defend the Yangtze River and Three Gorges area, make the right decision for the great Chinese mother river!
Attachment: "Introduction to the MDI Production Unit"
Love the party, be patriotic, love the soldiers
April 12, 2011
The press, media, and websites are welcome to use the included text reproduced in the annex, and welcome to comment on this article on-line.
We strongly urge the Central and the State Council, the NPC and the CPPCC National Committee to immediately and completely negate the the decision to construct the MDI project in Chongqing Changshou. In order to protect the security and prosperity of the people's lives, defend the Yangtze River and Three Gorges area, make the right decision for the great Chinese mother river!
Attachment: "Introduction to the MDI Production Unit"
Love the party, be patriotic, love the soldiers
April 12, 2011
The press, media, and websites are welcome to use the included text reproduced in the annex, and welcome to comment on this article on-line.
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