Explosion at Jilin leads to water pollution

24-Nov-05

An explosion at China National Petroleum Corporation's Jilin Petrochemical Company on Nov. 13, has caused pollutants containing benzene to flow into the 1,897-km-long Songhua River, leading to water pollution. Benzene is a substance harmful to human health. The swathe of the polluted water, reached Zhaoyuan a week after the explosion, with the level of nitrobenzene in the water exceeding the standard by 29.1 times at the highest. The polluted swatch continued to move downstream and is expected to reach the potable water sourcing area of Harbin City, capital of Heilongjiang and Harbin. Jilin has been prompt to block entry of the pollutants into the river and discharged water from a reservoir to dilute pollutants in the river. The company has organized environmental, water conservancy and chemical experts to discuss pollution control plans, and enhanced monitoring work. Quality of the river water is under close observation for 24 hours every day. Contingency programs have been activated for environmental incidents, and measures have been taken to ensure the safety of potable water. The finance department of the Heilongjiang provincial government has allocated 10 million yuan (approximately US$1.23 mln) specially for handling the pollution incident.