Many decline offer to escape lead

• Source: Global Times
• [02:16 December 03 2009]
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By Lin Meilian

Many villagers who may still be at risk of lead poisoning problems from nearby factories are refusing to accept an offer by the government of Jiyuan, Henan Province to relocate to a safer location.

More than 1,000 children in the city were tested positive for lead poisoning in their blood but many villagers refused to move, officials from Shibin village committee told the Global Times Wednesday.

Since August 20, the government has given blood tests to over 3,108 children under 14 years old and 1,008 had excessive lead in their blood, Beijing-based China Economic Weekly reported Wednesday.

About 32 out of the 35 smelters have suspended production in the wake of the lead poisoning scandal, it said.

Local villagers and lead smelters share a long history. Some 35 lead smelters there employ 10,000 people. The population is 670,000, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Jiyuan government wants to relocate residents living within 1 kilometer of the smelters.

The city's mayor Zhao Suping said in October that the relocation would cost 1 billion yuan ($146 million). The government and smelters will pay 70 percent and local residents pay the rest, Xinhua said.

Xinhua reported earlier that all children living within 1 kilometer of the smelters were moved and were provided education assistance by the government.

But many villagers did not want to move.

"We have 250 residents aged over 60 who have spent their whole life here and refuse to move," an official surnamed Wang from the Shibin village committee said. "The treatment for the children is our main concern rather than relocation."