>Home>News Center>China
           
     

    Spring thawing not to repollute Songhua river
    (AFP/Reuters)
    Updated: 2006-03-12 10:56

    China's top environmental official has said the thawing of ice in the spring will not repollute the Songhua River, the scene of a severe toxic chemical spill last year.


    Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, speaks at a news conference in Beijing March 11, 2006. [newsphoto]
    "The final conclusion is that this spring, the Songhua River will not have a second incident of pollution," Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, told reporters at a news conference.

    A blast ripped through a PetroChina chemical factory on November 13 in China's northeastern Jilin province, spewing tonnes of toxic benzene into the river.

    An 80-kilometer-long (50-mile) slick of benzene consequently surged down the Songhua into the city of Harbin leaving up to four million people without tap water for days.

    The spill also caused alarm in neighboring Russia as the Songhua feeds into the Amur which provides the main source of drinking water for the 600,000 residents of the Russian city of Khabarovsk.

    China managed to reduce the risk by increasing the flow of water through reservoirs into the Songhua to dilute the chemical.

    Experts however had warned that the problem could become worse in spring when ice flows that have trapped some of the pollution melt.

    But Zhou said Saturday that Chinese and Russian experts have analyzed the water and concluded there was currently no danger and would not be any danger once the ice melted.

    "Our final conclusion is Songhua River's fish are safe to eat, the dairy products made by farms (on the banks of the river) can be eaten," said Zhou Saturday.

    Traces of pollution were found in the Amur in December but tests found they presented no danger to humans, Russian officials have said.

    China has been embarrassed by the accident, one of the biggest environmental problems it has faced in recent years, which highlighted the environmental costs of its rapid industrialization and economic growth.

    Scientific approach to development

    China's environment chief thinks "scientific approach to development" is the tool he needs to tackle the country's pollution woes.

    Zhou Shengxian took the position when his predecessor was forced to resign over his handling of a toxic spill last November that poisoned the Songhua River, a source of drinking water for millions, but Zhou said he was looking to avoid the same fate.

    "It has equipped me with a very powerful weapon. If I use this weapon properly I will not end up resigning," said Zhou.

    Zhou said the growth at any cost approach was changing.

    "Prosperity at the expense of the environment is superficial and weak. It is only a delay of disaster," he said.

    The Songhua River spill, which became an international incident when an explosion at a chemical plant sent 100 tonnes of cancer-causing benzene compounds flowing toward Russia, showed that a crisis is already underway.

    In inspections of chemical plants following the spill, SEPA found dozens of others that posed safety hazards.

    Its report to parliament said of that of 43,000 enterprises inspected nearly half were found "with hidden danger in terms of environmental safety". The report called the environmental situation across China "very grave" and said capacity to enforce and monitor environmental laws was lagging.

    Zhou, along with China's top economic planners, have pledged reforms that better account for the cost of development, including changing the pricing system of water and energy so they reflect the scarcity of the resources.

    "Under some conditions, development is like combustion," Zhou warned. "What's burned away are resources, what's leftover is pollution, and what's produced in that process is GDP."

    The government is also introducing regulations that aim to integrate environmental losses into the evaluation of leaders, but analysts say it will take time before local officials, keen on boosting investment and accustomed to being judged on growth above all else, change their behaviour.

    Officials are also sometimes reluctant to use cleaner technologies if they are more expensive. A 2004 SEPA survey found that only half of new sewage treatment plants were operating because cash-strapped local officials thought they were too costly to use.



    CPPCC session ends in Beijing
    CPPCC session ends Monday
    Protest against Chen Shui-bian
      Today's Top News     Top China News
     

    CPPCC calls for fight against 'Taiwan independence'

     

       
     

    'Our living legacy must be guarded'

     

       
     

    FM: Ambassador to Japan 'excellent'

     

       
     

    Minister: China risks environmental disaster

     

       
     

    Efforts being made to bring back criminals

     

       
     

    Governor: Renminbi reform on sound track

     

       
      CPPCC calls for fight against 'Taiwan independence'
       
      Judicial system receives fewer complaints
       
      Commercial bribes of top concern
       
      Sound Pakistan-China ties hailed
       
      Organ transplant regulation drafted
       
      China helps Bangladesh forecast flood
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
    Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
    Advertisement
             
    无套中出丰满人妻无码| 久久人妻少妇嫩草AV无码蜜桃| 国产在线无码不卡影视影院 | 久久精品亚洲乱码伦伦中文 | 欧洲人妻丰满av无码久久不卡 | 日本久久久精品中文字幕| 无码国内精品人妻少妇| 久久精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 亚洲av无码乱码在线观看野外 | 久久亚洲AV成人无码电影| 日本一区二区三区不卡视频中文字幕| 免费VA在线观看无码| 无码毛片视频一区二区本码| 亚洲精品97久久中文字幕无码| 色吊丝中文字幕| 国产AV无码专区亚洲精品| 无码伊人66久久大杳蕉网站谷歌| 亚洲AV中文无码乱人伦在线视色 | 狠狠精品干练久久久无码中文字幕 | 午夜成人无码福利免费视频| 久久久久久亚洲AV无码专区| 最新高清无码专区| 亚洲JIZZJIZZ中国少妇中文 | 一级中文字幕免费乱码专区| 亚洲中文字幕无码日韩| 亚洲AV无码一区二三区| 亚洲AV无码一区二区三区国产| 精品无码久久久久久久动漫| 日韩av无码一区二区三区 | 国产精品无码国模私拍视频| 国产免费无码AV片在线观看不卡| 无码内射中文字幕岛国片| 色综合久久无码五十路人妻| 无码国产精品一区二区免费式芒果| 亚洲熟妇无码乱子AV电影| 潮喷失禁大喷水无码| 中文无码久久精品| 亚洲精品无码久久久影院相关影片 | 国产无遮挡无码视频免费软件| 日韩精品无码一区二区中文字幕| 色欲A∨无码蜜臀AV免费播|