A shepherd prepares to head home as smokestacks in the distance belch green smoke. Since the Datang coal-to-gas project began trial runs in December 2013, local herders have been plagued by air pollution. Herders in the four villages of Bayan Duhumu Gacha, Hongqi Gacha, Narisu Gacha and Baiyin Xile Gacha submitted an official complaint in March of this year. It reads: "Coal waste is everywhere. Many people have experienced headaches and discomfort. This is seriously threatening peoples' lives as well as the development of the livestock industry."
China’s flagship coal-to-gas pilot project is already breaking national standards on air and water pollution, according to an on-the-ground investigation by Greenpeace China.