A Chinese manufacturing facility that has supplied major solar cell producers including SunTech with polysilicon for solar cells is dumping a toxic byproduct on nearby agricultural land, according to an article in the Washington Post.
The Luoyang Zhonggui plant currently produces 300 tons of polysilicon a year and has plans to expand production to 900 tons annually to meet surging demand in the solar industry.
The article suggests the plant may not be the only one taking advantage of poor governmental oversight to cut dangerous corners, while saving millions of dollars at the expense of local residents.
The article adds that villagers have become ill and crops have started to fail as a result of the dumping of the material, which transforms into acids and poisonous hydrogen chloride gas when exposed to humid air.
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