Airport refuses to disclose environment report

The environment report for an airport set to open in October in a scenic region of Hubei province will not be released until it is operational, according to media reports.

Authorities in the forestry district of Shennongjia face accusations from that they have damaged the environment, including leveling five mountains and destroying hundreds of caves, to build the new airport.

The airport, which cost 1 billion yuan ($163 million), is hoped to transport 250,000 passengers and 1,500 tons of cargo every year. Major construction has been completed and the airport is due to open on Oct 1.

The government of the forest region said the project has passed environmental impact assessments.

But an official from the local government said they cannot give the report to the media yet but guaranteed that after the new airport is open, they will hold a press conference to release the report, according to the Beijing Morning Post.

No EIA report can be found on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the local government website or on other public media.