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Public Disclosure of Social Stability Risks for the 400,000-ton/year Coal-based Ethylene Glycol Project in Xinjiang Author/Source: Date: 2017-07-17 Clicks: 19 Recently, a public disclosure of information related to the risk analysis of social stability for the 400,000-ton/year ethylene glycol and carbon-based new materials production project carried out by the Second Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps was released. The project is located in the Hebei Bazhou Ecological Industrial Park in Yanqi County, Korla City. It was constructed with joint funding from Lvyuan State-owned Assets Company of the Second Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and Xinjiang Jinchuan Energy Group Co., Ltd. The total investment in the project amounts to 591,276.37 million yuan, and its total land area is 861,000 m2. This is a large-scale coal chemical project that will be developed in two phases; phase one involves the construction of an facility for producing 400,000 tons per year of ethylene glycol from coal. The project is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2020. Public Notice on Public Participation in the Social Stability Risk Assessment for the Project of Producing 400,000 Tons per Year of Ethylene Glycol and Associated Carbon-Based New Materials by the Second Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. In accordance with relevant provisions stipulated in the “Interim Measures for the Social Stability Risk Assessment of Major Fixed-Asset Investment Projects” (Document No. 2492 issued by the Development and Reform Commission) and the “Notice of the General Office of the Development and Reform Commission on Issuing the Outline for Compiling Chapters and Reports on Social Stability Risk Assessment for Major Fixed-Asset Investment Projects (Trial)” (Document No. 428 issued by the General Office of the Development and Reform Commission), Xinjiang Lüyuan State-Owned Assets Management Group Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Jinchuan Energy Group Co., Ltd. have commissioned Xinjiang Chemical Industry Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. to analyze potential social conflicts and instability factors that may arise during the implementation of the aforementioned project, as well as to prepare a report on its social stability risk assessment. In accordance with the requirements of the \"Outline for Compiling the Social Stability Risk Analysis Section of Major Fixed Asset Investment Projects\", the relevant details regarding the social stability risk analysis for this project are hereby made public as follows: I. Project name and overview Project name: 400,000 tons per year ethylene glycol production along with carbon-based new material production project, operated by the Second Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Project owners: Xinjiang Lvyuan State-owned Assets Operation Group Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Jinchuan Energy Group Co., Ltd. Project type: New construction. Scale of construction: 400,000 tons per year of ethylene glycol production. Project overview: This project is located within the Hebei Bazhou Ecological Industrial Park in Yanqi County. The total investment in this project amounts to 5,912,763,700 yuan, with a total land area of 861,000 m2. It is a large-scale coal chemical project, and it will be constructed in two phases; phase one involves the production of 400,000 tons per year of ethylene glycol from coal. The project produces crude syngas through gasification; after purification and separation, H2 and CO are obtained. Dimethyl oxalate is then used to produce ethylene glycol, and the crude ethylene glycol is refined to yield the final product, pure ethylene glycol. The specific construction contents include gasification units, purification units, H2/CO separation units, DMO units, ethylene glycol units, air separation units, thermoelectric units, finished product storage areas, flare systems and utility systems, as well as transportation, storage and handling facilities, pipe corridors and underground pipeline networks, power supply, road lighting, laboratory facilities, fire protection systems, telecommunications and information systems, landscaping, and production support facilities within the boundary of the new plants. The project is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2020. The current condition of the site for this project is a Gobi desert; no demolition is required at the site, and no arable land is occupied. The location of the project meets the planning requirements. This project does not involve house expropriation or resettlement compensation; the waste gases during operation mainly include flare vent gases, plant vent gases, boiler flue gases, and cooking fumes from the staff canteen ； The wastewater consists of domestic sewage; industrial wastewater is treated at the wastewater treatment plant and then reused entirely with no discharge outside ； Solid waste mainly consists of waste residues from gasification units, various types of spent adsorbents, boiler slag, and general household waste ； The noise sources include the noise generated during venting after noise suppression, as well as the operating noise of mechanical devices such as fans and motors. During the construction period, the main impacts include those caused by construction dust, noise, wastewater, and domestic waste on the construction workers; by taking appropriate measures, these adverse effects can be minimized. The proposed project will implement proper soil and water conservation measures and restore vegetation in order to minimize any adverse impact on the ecosystem. Risk factors for social stability and preventive measures: In accordance with the \"Interim Measures for the Assessment of Social Stability Risks for Major Fixed Asset Investment Projects by the Development and Reform Commission\" (Development and Reform Investment [2012] No. 2492), the initial identified risk factors for social stability include: mass incidents that may arise from the non-payment of workers’ salaries during the construction period ； Public complaints that may arise from the discharge of waste, ecological damage, and soil erosion. II. Work procedures and main tasks for social stability risk assessment Work procedures: First, the project owner entrusts relevant organizations to carry out the social stability risk assessment. The unit responsible for conducting social stability risk assessments carries out such assessments in accordance with relevant regulations, technical guidelines, standards, etc. It evaluates the potential social impacts of a construction project through various methods such as public announcements, consultations with the public, and questionnaire surveys. Based on the predicted negative effects, it proposes protective measures and mitigation strategies, and prepares a report on the social stability risk assessment. Main tasks: The main tasks of social stability risk assessment include determining the legality, rationality, feasibility, and controllability of implementing a construction project; analyzing and evaluating the potential social stability risks associated with this project; and proposing corresponding countermeasures. III. Preliminarily identified risk factors and measures for social stability Major social impact risk factors: 1. Risks of air pollution and water pollution: During implementation, it is necessary to determine whether air quality and wastewater discharge meet the **standards**, whether environmental pollution or disturbances to residents will occur, and whether any collective **incidents** might arise. 2. Risks of hazardous waste discharge and noise pollution: During implementation, it is necessary to determine whether the discharge and landfilling of solid waste, as well as noise emissions, meet the **standards**, whether environmental pollution or disturbances to residents will occur, and whether any collective **incidents** might arise. 3. Risks associated with the use of water and electricity resources: The project requires large amounts of water and electricity during its operation, which may lead to inconsistencies between the needs for water and electricity in production and daily life, shortages, and rising prices. This could also result in increased costs for residents’ basic living needs, as well as the occurrence of collective **incidents**. 4. Road traffic risks: The construction of the project will disrupt local traffic, which may lead to public dissatisfaction and thus the risk of obstruction to the construction work. 5. Risk of ecological environment damage: Analyze whether the project will cause damage to green spaces, vegetation, water environments, the atmosphere, and the urban landscape, leading to environmental degradation and public **incidents. 6. Risk of land acquisition compensation: The implementation of the project will involve the use of the land reserved for the industrial park; it does not affect the villagers’ land, so there will be no disputes regarding land acquisition or compensation for crops. 7. Cultural heritage protection risks: Whether the construction of the project will cause damage to nearby important cultural relics, and whether it will lead to public dissatisfaction, thereby creating the risk of disruptions to construction work. Main measures taken: 1. Effective environmental protection measures are implemented during the project construction to reduce pollution such as odors, dust, noise, wastewater, and waste residues. 2. Proactively communicate with the transportation authorities to address traffic issues caused by construction. 3. Implement reasonable protective measures for forestry, water sources, soil, etc., within the project area. 4. Effectively implement and improve the procedures related to land use for projects within the project area, ensuring that villagers’ land is not occupied, thereby preventing public dissatisfaction and the occurrence of mass **incidents. 5. During the preliminary preparation phase of the project, it is necessary to conduct assessments of resources such as water and electricity, in order to ensure coordinated supply of these resources after the project is implemented, thus guaranteeing priority access to water and electricity for residents’ basic needs. During the implementation and operation of a project, the project owner must keep a close watch on social stability risks throughout the whole process, identify new potential threats to social stability in a timely manner, and adjust and improve the corresponding preventive and mitigation measures as well as emergency response plans, so as to better ensure the stable and harmonious development of society.