| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Toxic Spill to Reach the Amur River
A toxic spill discharged by a Chinese plant may get into the Amur River, in Russia’s Far East, echoing an accident that happened eight months ago. Russian authorities have not given the alarm yet, but the toxic slick is to approach the city of Khabarovsk early September. China is to give a report to Khabarovsk authorities whether the chemicals were spilt because of a failure. Dangerous benzene as well as aniline and xylidine have got into the water.
Russia has sent an inquiry to Chinese authorities asking what was discharged into the Songhua River and whether the toxic spill may reach the Amur.
A Chinese news agency reported last Sunday that a chemical plant in Jilin had discharged several tons of industrial waste containing benzene and aniline. Jilin’s residents can now see a 5-km red foamy toxic slick which moves along the Songhua towards the Amur. A protecting dam is being built now to clean the water with activated carbon.
Last November, a failure at a plant in Jilin caused 100 metric tons of benzene to spill into the Songhua. Unprecedented measures were taken in Khabarovsk to protect the water intake. The amount of chemicals that got into the water, however, did not exceed the danger level of benzene.
The Russian environmental watchdog said the toxic slick is now 250 km off Russia’s Far East and is to approach the Russian territory by the end of the next week.
www.kommersant.com
|
|
|
