Blast at Jilin could contaminate water in Russia

25-Nov-05

A blast on November 13 at Jilin Petroleum and Chemical Company's plant in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang caused lethal benzene to spill into the Songhua River, the main source of fresh water for the nearby Chinese city of Harbin, with a population of 9 million. By Thursday the 80 km long (50 miles) spill had reached Harbin, raising benzene levels to 28.5 times the norm. The Songhua river that flow through China is a tributary of the Amur River that flows through Russia. So far contaminants from a Chinese petrochemicals plant have not been found yet in the Amur River. Tests of water samples have not shown hazardous levels of chemicals, which could flow into the Amur River from its tributary, the Songhua River. As per experts, the poisonous chemicals are expected to reach Russia by November 27-28 and Khabarovsk by December 1. Chinese experts said the spill would reach Russia, which is 700 kilometers (440 miles) away, no earlier than December 8 with significantly lower contamination level. The Authorities in the Khabarovsk Territory are considering imposing a state of emergency beginning November 25 as heavily polluted water from China heads toward cities on the Amur River. Authorities of the Jewish Autonomous Area, where the Amur River crosses into Russia, said they would not consider this option. Fears have caused prices of juice and bottled water in Khabarovsk to rise 10%-15%.