A hydropower station built illegally in a Hunan conservation area looks likely to continue operation, due to the hydropower company’s relationships with local government officials. The station, in a scenic part of the Huping conservation area, was discovered by the local environmental protection department in 2008, but they were unable to force the station to close until December 2010. According to relevant laws, hydropower development in conservation areas is illegal.
The station was built by the Tiande Hydropower Development Company of Shimen County. The Tiande company has been working hard to ask senior local government officials for permission to continue the project, and status the company has in Shimen county means that its efforts are likely to be successful. It was discovered that that the second highest official in the county’s environmental protection department is a shareholder in Tiande, with investments totaling 400,000 RMB, violating state council regulations which forbid officials from engaging in profit making activities. The vice-mayor of Shimen country has praised the project, saying that all opportunities for development should be firmly grasped.
