As Shiau Jia-sheng, section chief of Kaohsiung's Dept. of Environmental Protection recalls: "Rumors were flying all about. The building of what was clearly just an office was blown into report that an incinerator was under construction." Locals were particularly heated at the inaugural earth- cutting, and the ceremony had to be abandoned after two minutes amid a hail of stones, police intervention and general confusion.
「其時謠言四起，明明只是蓋一棟小型管理站，不知怎麼謠傳出我們要興建焚化爐」，高市環保局第四科科長蕭家勝回憶，開工儀式現場，群眾情緒激昂；禮樁、旗幟在飛石攻擊之下，七零八落，最後在警方大隊隔絕下，僅以鮮花代替香案，兩分鐘就完成了開工儀式。