Residents of Kodamanov village in southern Kazakhstan accused the Gezhouba Shieli Cement Plant, a subsidiary of China’s state-run Gezhouba Group, of causing severe air, water, and noise pollution that led to respiratory illnesses, headaches, and livestock losses among nearby residents. They argued that the plant had been built only 500 meters from homes, violating Kazakhstan’s legal requirement of at least 1,000 meters between hazardous facilities and residential areas. After years of complaints, the villagers filed a lawsuit in 2021, and both the district and provincial courts ruled in their favor, recognizing the environmental assessments as illegal and confirming that the plant breached sanitary regulations. However, before enforcement could take effect, the Kazakh government amended health and safety regulations in May 2024, introducing a clause that permitted a reduced “sanitary protection zone” for “historically established” facilities. This regulatory change effectively nullified the court rulings, enabling the Gezhouba Shieli plant to continue operations despite judicial findings confirming pollution and community harm.