Police detain 5 in pollution scandal
Source: Xinhua |
August 24, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FIVE people have been detained following a Chinese chemical company's dumping of allegedly carcinogenic industrial chemicals that police in the southwestern Yunnan Province said could threaten the water sources for tens of millions of people.
The suspects include a deputy general manager and an employee of Luliang Chemical Industry, which according to Qujing City's public security bureau illegally dumped more than 5,000 tons of chromium-contaminated waste near the Chachong Reservoir and on hills in the Qilin District in Qujing from April to June.
June rainfall washed chemicals into local water supplies and 77 cattle died.
As the Chachong Reservoir and its downstream river feed the Pearl River, one of China's longest waterways, there were fears it could threaten the water sources for tens of millions.
A third suspect is a deputy general manager at Sanli Fuel of Xingyi City in neighboring Guizhou Province, which was contracted to transport the industrial waste to Guizhou.
Police said they had previously detained two other people alleged to have dumped the waste near the reservoir instead of transporting it to Guizhou.
Investigators with the Pearl River Water Conservancy Committee said last week they had found excessive cancer-causing hexavalent chromium at the dumping sites.
The committee said no chromium pollution was detected in major drinking water sources, including the Huangnipu Reservoir and the Nanpan River.
The city government of Qujing said last week it would investigate whether watchdog officials were guilty of dereliction of duty.
The suspects include a deputy general manager and an employee of Luliang Chemical Industry, which according to Qujing City's public security bureau illegally dumped more than 5,000 tons of chromium-contaminated waste near the Chachong Reservoir and on hills in the Qilin District in Qujing from April to June.
June rainfall washed chemicals into local water supplies and 77 cattle died.
As the Chachong Reservoir and its downstream river feed the Pearl River, one of China's longest waterways, there were fears it could threaten the water sources for tens of millions.
A third suspect is a deputy general manager at Sanli Fuel of Xingyi City in neighboring Guizhou Province, which was contracted to transport the industrial waste to Guizhou.
Police said they had previously detained two other people alleged to have dumped the waste near the reservoir instead of transporting it to Guizhou.
Investigators with the Pearl River Water Conservancy Committee said last week they had found excessive cancer-causing hexavalent chromium at the dumping sites.
The committee said no chromium pollution was detected in major drinking water sources, including the Huangnipu Reservoir and the Nanpan River.
The city government of Qujing said last week it would investigate whether watchdog officials were guilty of dereliction of duty.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
