China still targeting heavy-metal polluters
Editor: 管理员 Date:2012-06-12 Hit:5898
%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EBEIJING%20-%20China%27s%20environmental%20watchdog%20will%20continue%20to%20crack%20down%20on%20heavy-metal%20pollution%20amid%20a%20renewed%20wave%20of%20lead%20poisoning%20cases%20in%20recent%20months%2C%20according%20to%20Wu%20Xiaoqing%2C%20deputy%20minister%20of%20environmental%20protection.%26nbsp%3B%20%3CBR%3E%26nbsp%3B%3CBR%3E%22Together%20with%20eight%20other%20ministries%2C%20we%20will%20scrutinize%20several%20heavy-metal%20industries%20this%20year%2C%20mainly%20targeting%20illegal%20operations%20in%20acid%20lead-battery%20manufacturing%2C%20heavy-metal%20smelting%20and%20processing%2C%22%20Wu%20told%20China%20Daily.%20He%20was%20attending%20the%20plenary%20session%20of%20Chinese%20People%27s%20Political%20Consultative%20Conference%20National%20Committee%20on%20Saturday.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EIn%20the%20first%20two%20months%20of%20this%20year%2C%20China%20reported%20four%20incidences%20of%20lead%20poisoning%20in%20Guangdong%20and%20Henan%20provinces%2C%20and%20the%20Guangxi%20Zhuang%20autonomous%20region.%20Nine%20cases%20of%20lead%20poisoning%20were%20recorded%20from%20January%20to%20August%20last%20year.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EA%20nationwide%20blanket%20inspection%20of%20acid%20lead-battery%20manufacturers%20last%20year%20left%20a%20question%20mark%20on%20whether%20such%20measures%20are%20effective.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20heavy%20metal%20pollution%20can%20accumulate%20in%20our%20environment%20and%20last%20for%20a%20long%20time%2C%20and%20it%20is%20also%20difficult%20to%20find%20out%20until%20such%20poisoning%20cases%20are%20reported%2C%22%20explained%20Wu%2C%20who%20is%20also%20a%20CPPCC%20member.%20%22So%20we%20need%20to%20strengthen%20the%20efforts.%22%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EOver%201%2C000%20enterprises%20were%20closed%20down%20during%20the%20past%20two%20years%20for%20illegal%20discharge%20of%20toxic%20heavy%20metals%2C%20according%20to%20Wu.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EMa%20Jun%2C%20director%20of%20the%20Institute%20of%20Public%20and%20Environmental%20Affairs%2C%20said%20existing%20pollution%20control%20efforts%20are%20helpful%20in%20curbing%20rampant%20heavy-metal%20pollution%20accidents%2C%20but%20gaps%20still%20exist.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20existing%20emission%20standards%20for%20heavy%20metals%20are%20based%20on%20levels%20of%20concentration%2C%20instead%20of%20their%20total%20volume%2C%22%20said%20Ma.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Therefore%2C%20for%20those%20large-scale%20factories%2C%20their%20total%20amount%20of%20emission%20can%20be%20quite%20significant%20even%20if%20they%20meet%20the%20emission%20standards.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22They%20pose%20a%20very%20dangerous%20threat%20to%20the%20public%2C%20because%20the%20heavy%20metals%20are%20not%20degradable%20and%20will%20stay%20in%20the%20environment%2C%22%20he%20said.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EMoreover%2C%20factories%20involved%20with%20smelting%20and%20the%20processing%20of%20heavy%20metals%20are%20sometimes%20too%20close%20to%20residential%20areas.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHe%20called%20for%20more%20public%20consultation%20when%20such%20businesses%20are%20introduced.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EIn%20January%2C%20a%20severe%20cadmium%20spill%20hit%20the%20Longjiang%20River%20in%20the%20Guangxi%20Zhuang%20autonomous%20region.%20It%20threatened%20the%20water%20supply%20of%20more%20than%203.5%20million%20people%20downstream.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20published%20a%20five-year%20blueprint%20to%20tackle%20heavy-metal%20pollution%20last%20year%2C%20targeting%20lead%2C%20mercury%2C%20chromium%2C%20cadmium%20and%20arsenic%2C%20which%20can%20cause%20irreversible%20harm%20to%20human%20organs.%26nbsp%3B%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20Daily%20%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E
