The cadmium toxic slick in Guangdong's Beijiang River is
expected to return to a safe level before it reaches other
downstream cities, according to a report released yesterday by
local authorities.
Since measures were undertaken last Friday to disperse the toxic
slick in the southern Chinese province, environmental protection
watchdogs have poured 380 tons of chemical dilutant into the toxic
slick.
"The cadmium content of the slick dropped 20 percent on
Saturday," said Li Zisen, who heads up the watchdog team.
A total of 1,200 tons of the chemical dilutant is expected to be
introduced into the slick.
In an attempt to further dilute the toxic spill, more than 54
cubic meters of water per second is being released from Nanshui
Reservoir in Shaoguan, a city upstream from the slick.
The cadmium content of the slick at Nanhua Waterworks near
Yingde dropped to 0.012 milligrams per liter on Saturday, still a
little higher than the safety level of 0.01 milligrams per liter,
according to tests performed by the Guangdong provincial health
department.
"The chemical level is expected to return to normal before it
reaches Feilaixia Dam in Qingyuan, more than 100 kilometers
downstream from Yingde," Zhang Jianjun, spokesman of Qingyuan
municipal government, told China Daily yesterday. The slick
is flowing at a speed of 4.5 kilometers per day, he said.
The slick was caused by a spillage of more than 1,000 tons of
heavy cadmium contaminated water from Shaoguan Smelting Plant on
December 15. The event caused huge economic losses, with the total
direct and indirect loss amounting to 150 million yuan (US$18.75
million).
The director of the Shaoguan plant, Zhang Weijian, was suspended
from office on Friday while further investigations are
conducted.
The other 14 smelting plants in Shaoguan have been closed.
Officials in Guangzhou and Foshan, towns downstream from
Beijiang, are keeping a close eye on developments in the cleanup,
and drinking water emergency measures enacted on Wednesday by the
two cities remain in effect.
It was reported that Tianhe, one of Guangzhou's 10 districts,
ceased its water supply yesterday afternoon, though the government
denied this.
"I didn't hear anything about a suspension of the water supply,"
Lu Shaokun, spokesman of Guangzhou Garden Bureau, said
yesterday.
(China Daily December 26, 2005)