A Chinese city has halted construction of a chemical plant after residents sent more than 1 million mobile phone text messages protesting possible pollution dangers, news reports said Thursday.

The $1.4 billion facility being built by Tenglong Aromatic PX (Xiamen) Co. Ltd to produce the petrochemical paraxylene was planned for the booming southeastern port of Xiamen, the Xinhua News Agency and newspapers said.

“The Xiamen city government has decided to suspend construction of the PX (paraxylene) plant in Haicang District,” a deputy mayor, Ding Guoyan, was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “The city government has listened to the opinions expressed and has decided, after careful deliberation, that the project must be re-evaluated.”