Huang Xingfa, director of the Yangxi Reservoir Management Bureau, was dismissed from his post after the film crew of the new Romance of the Three Kingdoms left a mess at the reservoir and endangered the drinking water supply for nearly 300,000 local residents in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported on April 23.
It was disclosed on April 19 that the film crew of the new Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who were filming at the Yangxi Reservoir, left a large amount of domestic refuse and oil waste. Plastic food boxes, wine bottles and even excrement piled up like a mountain around the reservoir. An acrid diesel smell was left by the night-filming of battle scenes. Some black discharge was seen floating in the water. Fortunately, there was no rain, so most of the oil waste was not carried into the reservoir.
The whole crew left the site on April 18. By April 21 the garbage had been cleaned up. The lake's water quality is being monitored, and all indicators are now up to standard.
Huang confirmed that the crew made a request to rent the Yangxi Reservoir as a shooting scene in 2008; however local management departments refused the request as the reservoir is the drinking water source for nearly 300,000 residents.
Later, taking into consideration that the film-shoot could promote Yongkang and the reservoir area, the Yangxi Reservoir Management Bureau signed an agreement with the crew without informing the environmental protection department and the water department.
The agreement required the crew to ensure water safety, with 20,000 yuan as a deposit in case of any environmental pollution. However, no one anticipated what would happen once the crew began filming on April 6.
Yongkang municipal officials promised to conform to regulations and avoid any activities harmful to drinking water sources in the future.
