500 square miles of mountains being leveled near Lanzhou, China

We visited Lanzhou, on the Yellow River, in the interior of China during our 38th parallel travels.  A new project to level mountains and then build on them to serve the growing population and development pressure is underway, with concern being raised by Chinese scientists as the effort continues.    See: Chinese Scientists Question Plan to Bulldoze 700 Mountains in Lanzhou

The objective is different than mountaintop removal coal mining, which we also described, in the Appalachian Mountains of the U.S.   This Chinese effort is a way to flatten mountains for construction purposes.  Whether the land will be stable enough is one question.  Dust issues are occurring.  Water quality in the Yellow River watershed is another big question.