BYD denies its car plant emissions harm children
Electric-vehicle maker BYD has said the emissions from its plant in the southeastern city of Changsha are in line with the country’s standards, following allegations that pollution from the factory sickened children in nearby residences.
While the Shenzhen-based car manufacturer said emissions released by its facilities in Changsha “comply with national regulations and standards”, it admitted the factory might have caused odours in a nearby residential area, according to a statement on its Weibo account.
“The company has taken relevant measures, and is actively improving the situation,” said BYD, whose shareholders include Berkshire Hathaway run by American billionaire Warren Buffett. Online rumours alleging that its plant’s emissions caused nosebleeds were “malicious fabrication”, it said.
Hundreds of parents gathered outside BYD’s Changsha factory on Saturday, holding photos showing their children bleeding from the nose, while carrying banners, such as “BYD pollutes and harms us” and “we do not want to be polluted”, according to several videos and media reports.
Some online users have also accused the company of causing nosebleeds, nausea and coughing in more than 600 children, according to posts on Weibo.
The plant, which began operation last year, sits in Yuhua district, about 40 minutes’ drive from Changsha’s downtown centre.
It is close to several junior schools and some residential estates. The closest homes are just 40 metres away, according to Google Maps.
The factory was put under a watch list for volatile organic compound (VOC) polluters by the Changsha government last year, and was ordered to cut emissions using new coating techniques by this October.
Exposure to concentrated VOCs in the air can cause several ailments, including irritation in the nose and throat, skin allergy, and damage to the liver and central nervous system.
The Changsha government said on Weibo yesterday it had set up a team to look into the issue. Relevant authorities, experts and third-party institutions would examine BYD’s plant, it said.
BYD, founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, started its car production unit in 2003. It has since evolved into the country’s top new energy vehicle maker. The company’s total vehicle sales soared by 423 per cent in the first quarter of this year. It led the country’s new energy vehicle market with a share of nearly 30 per cent in February.
BYD said last month it had stopped producing purely petrol-fuelled cars, following President Xi Jinping’s announcement in September 2020 that China aimed to hit peak carbon emissions by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.