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September 8, 2015

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Tianjin fallout: checking one’s own backyard

By Wu Huixin | September 8, 2015, Tuesday | Print Edition

SINCE the Tianjin chemical explosions that killed more than 150 people and injured hundreds more last month, people in China are taking a new look at storage warehouses that might be harboring hazardous waste and flammable chemicals in their own backyards.

Cai Yun, who lives in the Hangzhou Kaide Longwan residential community, can see a large warehouse about 200 meters away from her apartment balcony. It’s part of a depot site that is home to some of the city’s oldest chemical storage facilities, dating back to the 1950s, according to documents.

“I was not that uneasy about this warehouse before, but the Tianjin blast really stunned me, and now I fear such an explosion would happen here,” said Cai, who only rented the apartment last year.

The Tianjin tragedy is etched in the minds of the Chinese. On August 12, two blasts ripped through storage facilities in the port of Tianjin at midnight. Large amounts of toxic chemicals, including around 700 tons of sodium cyanide, were stored there. The official death toll, as of September 2, was 160, with 13 people still missing, according to rescue authorities. Nearby residential complexes were badly damaged.

The Xiaohe Oil Depot near Cai’s home comprises more than 30 tanks, enclosed by high walls and wire fences. In addition, there are several abandoned buildings at the site. The depot is owned by oil giant Sinopec Group, according to signs at the site.

On the northern, eastern and western sides of the depot are residential complexes constructed in recent years. About 100 meters away is the touristy Xiaohezhi Historical Street, which was revamped in 2007 as a water-style town and houses a museum, handicrafts shops and restaurants.

In addition, there are three farmhouses separated from the warehouse site only by a wall. A group of migrant workers resides there.

“When I moved here 10 years ago, these huge tanks were already here,” said migrant worker Xu, who declined to give his full name. “In more recent years, small tanks have been added.”

Depot officials says they understand public nervousness after the Tianjin tragedy, but residents have nothing to worry about here.

“In fact, 10 high capacity tanks have already been abandoned, and the rest are used only to store diesel and lubricating oil, not hazardous chemicals,” Shao Zhonghai, an official at the depot, told the Hangzhou Morning Express.

According to Shao, the capacity of the warehouse is 3,000 tons. Its function is mainly to supply urban gas stations.

“This warehouse is a third-level oil depot, which is required to be located at least 60 meters from residential buildings,” Shao said. “It meets all existing laws and regulations.”

He said the depot operates under strict guidelines. Cameras monitor the site and simulation exercises are held every month to practice emergency procedures.

“The safety system has been strengthened since the Tianjin blast,” said Shao. “All oil pipes are checked every hour. The company has invested nearly 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million) on security during the past five years.”

When the depot storage facilities were built in the 1950s, the surrounding area was only paddy fields. But urban crawl has moved residential complexes into the vicinity.

“The depot was scheduled to be relocated a few years ago,” Shao said.

“But the plan was suspended because of land issues. However, the company has been reducing throughput in recent years, from 24 tons a day in 2012 to 9 tons today,” Shao added.

Nearby residents confirm there is less activity at the site nowadays.

“Transport vehicles going in and out of the site are fewer,” said Xu.

In 2008, a group of Hangzhou universities proposed that the warehouses at the depot, when abandoned, be turned into a creative park, with nightclubs, cafes, fashion outlets and artistic studios — something akin to Phoenix Park, which rose from the remains of an old cement mill.

Local authorities liked the idea, but that’s as far as the concept has gone without a specific timetable for the relocation of the warehouses.

Some residents aren’t willing to wait.

“I plan to move out next month,” Cai said. “Those huge tanks really unsettle me every time when I recall the terrible explosions in Tianjin.”

Hangzhou


 

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