Posted on 11/27/2005 4:50:04 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Another river is poisoned as city waits for water
By Hamish McDonald Herald Correspondent in Beijing and agencies
November 26, 2005
ANOTHER chemical plant has exploded in China, spewing toxic benzene into the water supply of a central region as authorities in the country's north-east struggle to protect millions of people from an earlier spill.
The blast on Thursday at the Yingte Chemical Co in Dianjiang, part of the huge Chongqing municipality straddling the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, killed one worker and forced the evacuation of 6000 nearby residents and the closure of schools.
People in the area were warned not to drink water from the local river, a tributary of the Yangtze, because of concern that carcinogenic benzene had spilled.
In Harbin, whose 4 million people yesterday endured their third day without tap-water, officials evacuated small settlements on the banks and islands of the Songhua River as an 80-kilometre slick of benzene flowed by.
About 100 tonnes of benzene were released into the river 370 kilometres upstream by explosions at the Jilil Petrochemical Plant on November 13 that killed five workers, the State Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed.
Two reservoirs upstream discharged huge extra amounts of water into the partially frozen river to dilute the toxic spill.
Harbin, which draws its drinking water from the river, has stored 7150 tonnes of safe water and its government said neighbouring cities no longer need to truck in bottled water, its website said.
About 1000 soldiers and paramilitary police have been deployed at several water plants to install filters that can more effectively absorb nitrobenzene.
In a sign of how the first accident has jarred national nerves about widespread pollution, Premier Wen Jiabao has issued instructions demanding safe drinking water be ensured.
Jiamusi, a city downstream from Harbin, has no plans to cut off water supplies because it uses underground water, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Reuters reported that Harbin's people showed reactions ranging from "stoic acceptance to anxiety" and there were few signs of panic in the city, with most residents continuing to work and shops and restaurants open. About 10,000 policemen are patrolling the streets.
Hospitals have stockpiled antidotes to benzene-related poisoning, Xinhua said. Officials warned residents to be on the lookout for symptoms of benzene poisoning, which can cause blood disorders and kidney and liver damage.
Zhang Zuoji, Governor of Heilongjiang province, of which Harbin is the capital, has promised to drink the first glass of water from city taps once the pollution passes. But the city mayor, Shi Zhongxin, said the water would at first be unsuitable for drinking when supplies resume, possibly tomorrow.
A row has broken out about responsibility and the time taken to issue warnings downstream of the Jilin plant. "We will be very clear about who's responsible," said Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, at a news conference in Beijing. "It is the chemical plant of [the China National Petroleum Corporation] in Jilin province."
Mr Zhang said an investigation would consider if there was any criminal liability for the spill. The factory managers insisted they were not responsible for the pollution, but the owner has apologised to Harbin residents.
Beijing has rejected accusations authorities waited too long before telling downstream residents in Russia about the slick, which will flow into the Amur River near the city of Khabarovsk next week.
AROMATIC BUT TOXIC
- Benzene is a clear, colourless, volatile liquid derived from petroleum, with a characteristic sweet "aromatic" smell. - It is used as a building block in the petrochemical industry to produce paints, dyes, packaging, adhesives and compact discs.
- Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, rapid heart rate and death.
- It is classed as a human carcinogen by the US Government.
Ping!
a small price to pay for cheap imports.
Man, that Bush guy has been busy lately.
This is starting to sound a little like the second tower hit. The whole article carries on about the first spill but the headline was for a second spill of the same stuff in a different place. How coincidental is that?
Maybe I've just got the tin foil wrapped a little to tightly around my head tonight.
Forget the people...The non-existant environmental laws and billions of cheap bodies are what lures American companies to that cesspool...
Look at all the cheap junk we get to buy...Wal Mart's wonderfull...'Free' trade is great...IF we can get GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda to move to China, we will prosper like never before...
Whatever they're doing, they need to stop it.
What does the latest 5-year plan say about the number of rivers to be poisoned? For here one is dealing with a major popular initiative to fulfill, then overfulfill, and to do it faster than originally planned.
yeah, it is quite possible that their 5-year plan included the construction of a gazillion Benzene-producing chemical plants.
As a result, Chicom could produce enough Benzene to kill entire Chinese population ten-times over. Ultimate population control, I guess.
Same here. Is there some way of verifying that this is a different explosion? If it is, I'm thinking the same thing; 2nd tower. Those Muzzies don't care who they go after, and China would be a good target: easy access, lax safety measures, and nobody's expecting it.
Sure hate to get caught over there, tho. Not big on due process/civil liberties....and they ain't just gonna put panties on your head.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.