Students from around the island started an overnight sit-in protest at the Environmental Protection Administration on Wednesday evening

to express their opposition to the Kuokuang Petrochemical Plant Project, which was scheduled to go

through the fourth environmental review yesterday morning. While the protesters keep demanding

Kuokuang to cancel the plan for the preservation of natural resources, the company has persisted in its claim that the new plant will be safer and more eco-friendly than many believe.

Changhua residents who oppose the Kuoguang Petrochemical Plant came to the Environment Protection Administration to join the group of students.

They chanted slogans to show their determination of opposing the plan and saving the land.

College students who rallied the night before reiterated their claims, saying that the plant would affect their future lives and they have rights to reject the high-pollution industry.

Fangyuan residents from Changhua county stressed the pollution exists even though the development plan is scaled down and they urge the government to reject the plan immediately.

On the other hand, in the environmental assessment review meeting, representatives of Kuoguang Petrochemical Plant emphasizes the pollution is within a controlled range and support the design with various figures,

adding that Chinese white dolphins will be able to come and go through the specially left out hole on the north breakwater of the industrial harbor.

Although it was just a task force meeting, students, residents and environmental activists who oppose the development plan closely monitor the meeting process in hopes to block the highly controversial case from being approved.

However, environmental assessment commissioners are the ones to make the final decision.

As of noon, the meeting was still going on.