MAXIMUM FINE OVER CHINA POLLUTION !
The spill from the plant affected both Chinese and Russian cities. China's environmental watchdog has handed the maximum possible fine to a PetroChina subsidiary for a toxic river spill which cut off water to millions.
Jilin Petrochemical was ordered to pay 1m yuan ($125,000, £64,000) for its pollution of the Songhua River in 2005, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
A blast at its chemical plant in Jilin province discharged about 100 tonnes of the carcinogen benzene into the river.
The city of Harbin lost water supplies for five days, and Russia was also hit.
China's State Environmental Protection Agency found the company guilty of three counts of breaking environmental law.
Last year China said it had given "administrative demerits" to a provincial official and several PetroChina executives.
More than 3 million Harbin residents were left without fresh water
The benzene caused an 80km (50-mile) slick and dramatically elevated benzene levels in the river.
The polluted water flowed into Harbin, leaving 3.8 million residents with no access to clean water, and then onwards to the Russian city of Khabarovsk.
China announced in March last year that it would spend more than $1.2bn (£610m) on the clean-up.
The incident strained relations with Russia and highlighted growing problems in China over water pollution.
Jilin Petrochemical was ordered to pay 1m yuan ($125,000, £64,000) for its pollution of the Songhua River in 2005, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
A blast at its chemical plant in Jilin province discharged about 100 tonnes of the carcinogen benzene into the river.
The city of Harbin lost water supplies for five days, and Russia was also hit.
China's State Environmental Protection Agency found the company guilty of three counts of breaking environmental law.
Last year China said it had given "administrative demerits" to a provincial official and several PetroChina executives.
More than 3 million Harbin residents were left without fresh water
The benzene caused an 80km (50-mile) slick and dramatically elevated benzene levels in the river.
The polluted water flowed into Harbin, leaving 3.8 million residents with no access to clean water, and then onwards to the Russian city of Khabarovsk.
China announced in March last year that it would spend more than $1.2bn (£610m) on the clean-up.
The incident strained relations with Russia and highlighted growing problems in China over water pollution.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
posted by jackaranda at 4:53 pm
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