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