THE South China Sea Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences confirmed its environmental impact assessment report on a dredging project of Shenzhen Bay had plagiarized another report in an announcement Wednesday.

The institute had decided to refund the fees, said to be nearly 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) and suspended the duty of employees involving in the scandal for further investigation.

After termination of the contract, the institute will not participate in the follow-up work related to the project.

In the announcement, the institute said the qualitative analysis part of the environment report was practically identical to the environment assessment report on the waterway renovation project for 300,000-ton vessels of Zhanjiang Port, the other report also made by the institute.

Xu Yufen, the person in charge of the report, publicized the report without following required approval procedures.

The investigation on Xu and related personnel involved in the scandal is still continuing.

In January, the institute signed a contract with China Communication Water Transportation Planning and Design Institute, the general contractor, for the environment assessment report, commissioned by Shenzhen Navigation Routes Affairs Center, which acts for Shenzhen transport bureau for the construction of navigation routes in the Shenzhen Bay area.  (Han Ximin)