| The Chinese government has rejected concerns its | | | | protecting water quality, and more than a billion dollars |
| massive Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric | | | | to deal with geological threats. |
| project in the world, is a threat to the Yangtze River's | | | | He says the dam is already showing daily benefits in |
| environment and people. Despite criticism, they say the | | | | flood prevention, power generation, and shipping. |
| dam is actually a positive force on the environment | | | | There have been reports of deadly landslides and |
| and has improved the lives of locals. Daniel Schearf | | | | bursts of algae blooms on the dam's tributaries caused |
| reports from Beijing. | | | | by water pollution. Officials acknowledged the algae |
| Chinese officials in charge of the Three Gorges Dam | | | | blooms were getting worse, but said they were still not |
| say the environment along the Yangtze River is stable | | | | a big threat. |
| and under control, despite the dam's disruption to the | | | | The leader of the project's quality control panel, Pan |
| ecology. | | | | Jiazheng, chastised the foreign media for exaggerating |
| Critics had warned the massive dam and the | | | | the damage to the environment from the dam. |
| 660-kilometer-long reservoir it created would put | | | | Pan says the government welcomes the foreign |
| severe pressure on the Yangtze's aquatic life and | | | | media's questions, but says they need to be more |
| could lead to landslides and perhaps earthquakes. | | | | accurate in their reporting. He says the media should |
| But the deputy director of the Three Gorges Dam | | | | not compare a kitty to a tiger. |
| construction committee, Wang Xiaofeng, told a press | | | | The officials said those counties and people affected |
| conference the damage it caused was minimal and | | | | by the dam have seen fast economic growth. The |
| the benefits it created with flood control and economic | | | | government says 2007 figures show counties in the |
| growth from electric power far outweigh the | | | | area have an economic growth of more than 14 |
| detriments. | | | | percent, while incomes have skyrocketed by 20 |
| "Currently I would describe it as effective control," he | | | | percent. |
| said. "Effective control does not mean in the future | | | | More than a million mainly poor farmers have been |
| there will not be any landslides or threats that arise. | | | | relocated from the area flooded by the dam and |
| But, the Chinese government is closely monitoring and | | | | some reports indicate more may be moved in the |
| increasing control. I think we can avoid big losses to | | | | future. |
| people and property." | | | | Wang said there is only one county of people left to |
| Wang said the government stocked the Yangtze with | | | | be relocated. He acknowledged some people resisted |
| millions of fish, and the government had spent | | | | being forced to move and were dealt with according |
| hundreds of millions on preventing soil erosion and | | | | to law. |