Officials in quake-hit areas are stepping up efforts to monitor the environment. At stake are the safety of the local water supply and air quality. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has also announced the discovery of chemical leaks, but says none of them has caused harm.
A reassuring message: All nuclear facilities in Sichuan are safe.
Wu Xiaoqing, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection.
Wu Xiaoqing, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, said, "We've made an all-out effort to eliminate environmental dangers. There have been no secondary geological incidents so far."
Immediately after the quake, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and local environment departments dispatched experts to examine all nuclear facilities in the province. As of noon on Thursday, they had identified 50 radiation sources and moved 35 to safe areas. They're now working on the remaining 15.
Vice Environment Minister Wu Xiaoqing said the ministry has received four reports of leaking from chemical companies in Sichuan. The chemicals include acid and phosphorous from chemical plants, and liquid ammonia from a meat plant. But he says the leakage had been harmless.
Wu Xiaoqing said, "According to the conclusion of our experts, the four cases of leakage have not had any negative impact on the environment."
Three of the 15 remaining radiation sources are buried under rubble, while the other 12 are located in unstable buildings technicians still cannot enter safely. The ministry has asked the local government to speed up efforts to clear away the debris.
The Environment Ministry has also sent experts to Sichuan and its neighboring regions to keep a close eye on the environment. It has raised 50 million yuan for new monitoring equipment.
Meanwhile, environmental officials say air quality is normal in 11 of the worst-hit counties and towns.
As a precautionary measure, the ministry is urging workers in the quake zone to sterilize all animal carcasses before burying them, and to watch out for any disease outbreak among the livestock.
(CCTV May 26, 2008)