Chemical spill poisons water supply in Hunan
11 September 2006
Hunan health authorities said Sunday there were no reports of people falling ill following the discharge of arsenide into the Xinqiang River, which supplies drinking water to 80,000 residents in Yueyang county, Hunan, the South China Morning Post reported. County environmental authorities discovered the spill Friday when they found arsenide levels 10 times the normal standard during a routine water check, state media reported. The environmental authority also said the pollution had flooded Dongting Lake, home to endangered fish such as the Chinese sturgeon and baiji, a type of dolphin, but that the animals would be only slightly affected. Pan Yue, deputy head of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said the country had recorded more than 130 water pollution cases since a massive pollution of the Songhua River in November. He said factories were mostly to blame.
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