BEIJING, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- About 15,000 people will be evacuated from Chinese villages poisoned by decades of lead manufacturing, authorities say.
The 10 villages lie in the city of Jiyuan around lead-production facilities, including the
headquarters of Henan Yuguang Gold and Lead Co., the largest lead producer in Asia, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
"We did the work that developed countries don't want to do, making huge profits from a product that damages the environment," a 41-year-old lead factory worker from Jiyuan said. "They will knock down our village and expand the factory and put us somewhere else. Maybe the old people won't want to move, but the rest of us are happy to go."
The exodus, set to take place in the coming year, reflects the recent growing awareness about the dangers of lead poisoning in China, the world's largest producer and consumer of lead products.
As recently as 2007, when millions of Chinese toys were recalled in the United States because of lead paint content, many Chinese accused Americans of making too much of the danger.
Now more and more Chinese people are getting lead tests for themselves and their children, and the tests reveal dangerous levels of lead.
That has prompted demands for government action and, in some cases, riots to call attention to lead poisoning.
"The Chinese people have had to learn that you shouldn't make a profit by destroying the environment," said Yuan Hong, a 56-year-old activist who is helping villagers.
