Reuters: China toxic spill forces water supplies to be cut

[PhilipShore]

Reuters
China toxic spill forces water supplies to be cut
Feb 20, 2006

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-02-20T064321Z_01_PEK354294_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENVIRONMENT-CHINA.xml

BEIJING (Reuters) - A toxic chemical spill in southwest China has disrupted water supplies to 20,000 people since last week, a state newspaper said on Monday, the latest in a series of pollution incidents to hit the country.

A power plant on the upper reaches of the Yuexi River in Sichuan province was to blame for the pollution, which prompted environmental officials to suspend water supplies to Guanyin Town since last Wednesday, the official China Daily said.

Water was being trucked in to residents, but was unable to meet demand, it added.

Tests showed that the river had been polluted with chemicals including fluoride and nitrogen, the newspaper said.

[lovuian]

1. China will soon poison itself to death if it keeps it up...

Water and air will be poisoned all for the bureaucrats...

[WhiteTara]

2. seems to be a race on...who can kill us

the fastest. I'm listening to Al Gore and it is really grim.

[cliss]

3. This has been going on for a while in China.

A while back, there was an article about a ship which supposedly dumped thousands of pounds of really toxic chemicals. Later, a group of Chinese folks confessed - they were responsible for it.

They are doing it to themselves - and for what? To press out little crap like action figures to be thrown in Mac Meal lunches? This makes no sense. I thought the Chinese were smarter than that.

[smitty]

4. China is rapidly becoming the most polluted

country in the world, if it is not so already. Rapid industrialization with no environmental controls is a recipe for disaster. Politically China has the worst of both worlds, unelected communist bureaucrats promoting in uncontrolled capitalist development.