China Update
Published by MAC on 2006-01-11
China Update
by PlanetArk
11th January 2006
There has been another release of cadmium into Chinese waterways, just a few weeks after tonnes of the deadly metal flowed from a zinc plant in Guangdong province. In November 2005, a chemicals spill into the Songhua river deprived the north-eastern city of Harbin of water for five days.
The first week of the New Year saw a "landmark" judgement, obtained by a Chinese water company against two manufacturers and a state bureau guilty of polluting the Yellow River in mid-2004. This left the Inner Mongolian city of Baotou without water supplies for four days [Financial Times, January 5 2006].
However, the fine imposed was only US$285,000.