Wastes from mine cause huge fish kill
Source: Xinhua |
July 13, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A COPPER mine has contaminated a river in east China's Fujian Province, causing a massive fish kill, environmental authorities said yesterday.
The Zijinshan Copper Mine is owned by Hong Kong-listed Zijin Mining Group Co, China's largest gold producer.
To date, 9,100 cubic meters of waste water has penetrated the sewage tank and flowed through the drainage culvert into the Tingjiang River, said Lan Fuyan, deputy head of Shanghang County.
"Preliminary investigations showed that the penetration occurred due to the damage in the impermeable membrane of the sewage tank," Lan said.
"The penetration started at around 4pm on July 3 and ended at 2:30pm on July 4, after local authorities installed pumps to drain out waste water."
He said the wastewater was mainly acid water containing copper and contained no extremely toxic substances.
About 1.9 million kilograms of fish in the Mianhuatan Reservoir in Yongding County have been found dead or poisoned.
The smell of dead fish is discernible 10 kilometers from the reservoir, according to a Xinhua reporter.
Big cleanup
The county government has mobilized civil servants, officers and soldiers, as well as local villagers to help net the dead fish.
"The county government has issued a circular asking residents to turn in poisoned fish for collective disposal. Villagers will receive 3 yuan (44 US cents) for each kilogram of dead fish turned in," said Liao Zhiyuan, a villager in Hongshan Township.
Zhang Jingwen, a veteran fisherman in the township, said the fish kill was detected on July 5. The contamination killed all 25,000 kilograms of fish on his fish farm.
"If the dead fish are not netted in time, they will rot in water," he said.
Lin Zhongmin, deputy chief of the Longyan detachment of the armed police, said more than 100 officers and soldiers from his detachment had worked for 11 hours at the reservoir.
Villagers have urged the mining company to compensate them for their losses.
The county government had also urged the mining company to stop production until further investigations are carried out, said Lan.
Mining officials have not yet commented on the matter.
The Zijinshan Copper Mine is owned by Hong Kong-listed Zijin Mining Group Co, China's largest gold producer.
To date, 9,100 cubic meters of waste water has penetrated the sewage tank and flowed through the drainage culvert into the Tingjiang River, said Lan Fuyan, deputy head of Shanghang County.
"Preliminary investigations showed that the penetration occurred due to the damage in the impermeable membrane of the sewage tank," Lan said.
"The penetration started at around 4pm on July 3 and ended at 2:30pm on July 4, after local authorities installed pumps to drain out waste water."
He said the wastewater was mainly acid water containing copper and contained no extremely toxic substances.
About 1.9 million kilograms of fish in the Mianhuatan Reservoir in Yongding County have been found dead or poisoned.
The smell of dead fish is discernible 10 kilometers from the reservoir, according to a Xinhua reporter.
Big cleanup
The county government has mobilized civil servants, officers and soldiers, as well as local villagers to help net the dead fish.
"The county government has issued a circular asking residents to turn in poisoned fish for collective disposal. Villagers will receive 3 yuan (44 US cents) for each kilogram of dead fish turned in," said Liao Zhiyuan, a villager in Hongshan Township.
Zhang Jingwen, a veteran fisherman in the township, said the fish kill was detected on July 5. The contamination killed all 25,000 kilograms of fish on his fish farm.
"If the dead fish are not netted in time, they will rot in water," he said.
Lin Zhongmin, deputy chief of the Longyan detachment of the armed police, said more than 100 officers and soldiers from his detachment had worked for 11 hours at the reservoir.
Villagers have urged the mining company to compensate them for their losses.
The county government had also urged the mining company to stop production until further investigations are carried out, said Lan.
Mining officials have not yet commented on the matter.
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