: Among the policy consequences of the spill were a revision of the Water Pollution Control Act and an enhanced focus on emergency response. [39] As measures intended to control the spread and release of information failed, the government proved remarkably deft in responding to public criticism. Even after the central government intervened on November 18, it failed to notify the general public of the danger until the slick reached Harbin. The government of Harbin also ordered the price of drinking water to be frozen at the level of November 20, in order to combat overpricing. From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 23, the city temporarily restored the water supply to allow residents to stock up on water, since the slick had not yet reached the city. The tragic result After the explosions, police discovered that six workers died during the explosions which continued for over an hour. Other articles have suggested that the benzene contamination could present a long-term problem in that it can bioaccumulate in the basin's organisms, remain trapped in river ice that will melt and result in additional releases, and become trapped in the river's sediments [3]. After exiting the Amur River, the contaminants entered the Strait of Tartary and then the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, which have Japan, Korea and Far-East Russia on its littorals. 2014  – August: A blast at a Taiwanese-owned car parts factory in Kunshan near Shanghai killed at least 75 and seriously injures 200 after a flame ignited metallic dust. The Jilin chemical plant explosions were a series of explosions which occurred on November 13 2005, in the No.101 Petrochemical Plant in Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, over the period of an hour. On November 26, representatives from China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) visited both the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi and the United Nations offices in Beijing to provide extensive data on the Songhua spill, after which SEPA continued to send regular updates to the United Nations. 2005 – Nov: Supply of water to Harbin, one of northern China’s biggest cities, was cut off for almost a week after explosions at a chemical plant in Jilin polluted the Songhua river with around 100 tonnes of pollutants containing highly-poisonous benzene and nitrobenzene. It is reported that the entry of several tributaries into the Songhua, such as the Hulan River and the Mudan River, diluted the slick. If you are a social media user, then we are able to do this through a pixel provided by Facebook, which allows Facebook to place cookies on your web browser. Among those evacuated were local residents and students of the Jilin institute of Chemical Technology and those of the North campus of Beihua University. At present the RSCs, which include a major center in Chongqing, have met with limited success, but they represent an important step towards a clear chain of accountability in the process of environmental protection, which in itself promotes government transparency. Xie Zhenhua, China's Minister of State Environmental Protection Administration, resigned and was succeeded by Zhou Shengxian, former director of the State Forestry Administration.[8]. Following the massive explosion and fire at a chemical storage facility in Tianjin on 12 August 2015 that killed 173 people, including 104 firefighters, the Chinese government vowed to better regulate chemical production and storage facilities but government safety inspectors have little authority to enforce safety standards in the workplace and little has been done to really make work safety a priority, even in the coal mining industry where the reduction in fatalities has largely resulted from production cutbacks and worker lay-offs. The vice governor of Jilin Province, Jiao Zhengzhong, also apologized to the people of Harbin, according to a report Thursday in the newspaper Beijing News [2]. In the short term, the government took on a range of measures, including an extensive legal enforcement campaign in the spring following the spill. "We will be very clear about who's responsible," Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said at a news conference in Beijing. While the central government went public largely because it could no longer keep information on the incident from its own citizens, it is perhaps safe to assume that this was the longest the Chinese government could wait without risking confrontation with Russia, whose border lay downriver [1]. Impact of the Songhua River Benzene Incident on China' s Environmental Policyhttp://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/positive-spillover-impact-the-songhua-river-benzene-incident-china-s-environmental, [2] China blames oil firm for chemical spillhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/24/world/asia/24iht-harbin.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, [3] The Songhua River Spill: China's Pollution Crisishttp://www.parsonsbehle.com/publications/the-songhua-river-spill-china-s-pollution-crisis, [4] China pledges to minimize impact of river pollution on Russiahttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/24/content_3831641.htm, In pictures: Harbin toxic leak (BBC News)http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4466634.stm, The Jilin chemical plant explosions and Songhua River Pollution Incident, China, 6 killed, dozens injured, over 10,000 evacuated, Former Premier Wen Jiabao, Former Minister of China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) Xie Zhenhua, Vice Governor of Jilin province Jiao Zhengzhong and Deputy General Manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Zeng Yukang, former Jilin Vice Mayor Wang Wei, Environmental Protection Bureaux of Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi and Harbin, as well as SEPA Environmental Monitoring Centre, Heilongjiang Environmental Monitoring Centre and Jiamusi Environmental Monitoring Station. Two days after the explosions, the cause of the explosions was determined. The Deadliest Chemical Warfare Attacks In History, 5 Things You Should Know About: Central America. This website uses cookies that collect information about your computer. "Zhang did not elaborate, but he said an investigation would consider if there was any criminal liability for the spill. Up to 10,000 people were temporarily evacuated. China Dialogue - chinadialogue is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting a common understanding of China’s urgent environmental challenges. Once opened, lines of communication with international and domestic environmental groups and media outlets remained so, receiving regular updates regarding the spill and efforts to control its impact. Once opened, lines of communication with international and domestic environmental groups and media outlets remained so, receiving regular updates regarding the spill and efforts to control its impact. Although a decisive move on the part of the Chinese state, it approached the United Nations only after the pollution slick had reached Harbin, a full two weeks following the initial explosion in Jilin Province. The nitrobenzene level doubled on November 25 (0.5805 mg/L), 33.15 times the national safety level, and began to decrease. "If the contaminated water had been supplied to households, the result would have been unimaginable." our website visitors and newsletter subscribers, how it is used and how Impact of the Songhua River Benzene Incident on China' s Environmental Policy[click to view], [2] China blames oil firm for chemical spill[click to view], [3] The Songhua River Spill: China's Pollution Crisis[click to view], [4] China pledges to minimize impact of river pollution on Russia[click to view], In pictures: Harbin toxic leak (BBC News)[click to view], The Jilin chemical plant explosions and Songhua River Pollution Incident, China, 6 killed, dozens injured, over 10,000 evacuated, Former Premier Wen Jiabao, Former Minister of China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) Xie Zhenhua, Vice Governor of Jilin province Jiao Zhengzhong and Deputy General Manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Zeng Yukang, former Jilin Vice Mayor Wang Wei, Environmental Protection Bureaux of Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi and Harbin, as well as SEPA Environmental Monitoring Centre, Heilongjiang Environmental Monitoring Centre and Jiamusi Environmental Monitoring Station. [...] [Moreover], SEPA has gained ministerial status in the Chinese government. T-102 tower was jammed up and was not handled properly, hence the blasts. Heilongjiang responded to the crisis a full week after the explosions occurred—their initial announcement attributed the impending shutoff to "maintenance", and gave only a day's notice; it was the second announcement on the next day that clarified the reason for the shutoff and postponed the shutoff. The explosion severely polluted the Songhua River, with an estimated 100 tons of pollutants containing benzene and nitrobenzene entering into the river [4]. On that day, the nitrobenzene level at Harbin was recorded at 16.87 times above the national safety level, while the benzene level was increasing, but had not yet exceeded national safety level. Over 10,000 people were evacuated from the area, including local residents and students at the north campus of Beihua University and Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology,[3] for fear of further explosions and contamination with harmful chemicals. Water supply in Harbin was resumed in the evening of November 27. Environmental and other groups have suggested that the food chain in the river basin and corresponding region could be affected for some time. The international attention gained by the chemical slick flowing into Russia has cast a spotlight on the flaws in China's environmental protection policies. You use our websites: an explosion at a construction site explosion this... Are on the slick left Zhaoyuan, Daqing, Heilongjiang cover up of the authorities ' response to the in. November 14 compounding the fears of Harbin residents began to decrease configuración pulsando. Effect on cities and counties in Jilin province the Amur River was suspended while other supplies! 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