Agency assailed for OK'ing polluter
By Zhang Xuanchen |
August 21, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ENVIRONMENT protection authorities in Fujian Province are under fire for twice going beyond their power to allow a local steel company, which killed tons of fish in a bay with its toxic waste water, to operate.
The water of Luoyuan Bay turned murky and many fish died since the steel plant owned by Desheng Nickel Company began production last year, a local fisherman said.
The plant yielded 920,000 tons of nickel alloy and 820,000 tons of stainless steel sheet. It also leaked a vast amount of heavy-metal tainted sewage into the river.
Local fishermen said untreated water was released directly into the river, killing abalones valued at over 300,000 yuan (US$44,171) last year, the Economic Information Daily reported.
The Fujian Environment Protection Bureau OK'd the company's environment assessment report for its nickel plant in 2006 and approved its operation.
However, this violated China's Environment Law, which rules that only the State Environment Protection Administration can approve the environment assessment report of a heavy metal plant with an output capacity of over 50,000 tons.
The bureau violated the law again in 2008 when it approved the environment assessment report for the company's stainless steel mill.
Liu Jingfeng, a bureau spokesman, said officials were not available for comment because they were busy with another toxic spill case, involving the Zijinshan copper mine.
Government has suspended production at that mine, which leaked acidic copper waste into the Tingjiang River last month, poisoning tons of fish.
Early this month, China listed 2,087 steel mills, cement works and other energy-intensive factories required to close by September 30 in an effort to improve energy efficiency and the battered environment.
The water of Luoyuan Bay turned murky and many fish died since the steel plant owned by Desheng Nickel Company began production last year, a local fisherman said.
The plant yielded 920,000 tons of nickel alloy and 820,000 tons of stainless steel sheet. It also leaked a vast amount of heavy-metal tainted sewage into the river.
Local fishermen said untreated water was released directly into the river, killing abalones valued at over 300,000 yuan (US$44,171) last year, the Economic Information Daily reported.
The Fujian Environment Protection Bureau OK'd the company's environment assessment report for its nickel plant in 2006 and approved its operation.
However, this violated China's Environment Law, which rules that only the State Environment Protection Administration can approve the environment assessment report of a heavy metal plant with an output capacity of over 50,000 tons.
The bureau violated the law again in 2008 when it approved the environment assessment report for the company's stainless steel mill.
Liu Jingfeng, a bureau spokesman, said officials were not available for comment because they were busy with another toxic spill case, involving the Zijinshan copper mine.
Government has suspended production at that mine, which leaked acidic copper waste into the Tingjiang River last month, poisoning tons of fish.
Early this month, China listed 2,087 steel mills, cement works and other energy-intensive factories required to close by September 30 in an effort to improve energy efficiency and the battered environment.
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