As local authorities in Lanzhou continued to investigate the city's tap water contamination on Sunday, experts and local residents have raised questions over the delayed response and lack of timely information from authorities and the water supplier.
Currently, a government team is investigating claims that a Sino-French joint venture delayed reporting tap water contamination that affected 2.4 million people in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, at the weekend.
Levels of benzene, a cancer-inducing chemical, in the city's tap water rose 20 times above national safety levels on Friday, forcing the city to turn off supplies and warn local residents not to use it for the next 24 hours.
The Lanzhou government said tests on Friday had found 200 micrograms of benzene per liter of water. The national safe standard is 10 micrograms.
Benzene is known to damage human blood cell production.
By yesterday morning, the city's water had been declared safe after tests showed benzene levels met national standards.
Investigators found crude oil in soil along a duct between two water plants owned by Veolia Water.
The spill was initially believed to have leaked from a pipeline owned by Lanzhou Petrochemical, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, the country's largest oil company, according to investigators.
Locals still have doubts about the cause of the pollution and are concerned about tap water safety, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to Zheng Zhiqiang, deputy head of the investigation team, the underground poisoned water from the water source will be further tested to confirm the connection between the oil leak and the contaminated tap water.
China National Radio said on its website that Veolia discovered the benzene spike on Thursday afternoon, but only reported it to the city government the next morning. It quoted Zheng as saying that the investigation team's next job was to look at whether Veolia's actions were in accordance with regulations.
"We must verify and get evidence from relevant departments and people, including Veolia, about the discovery, reporting and handling situation of the benzene incident," Zheng said.
Meanwhile, five Lanzhou residents are suing the water company over what they claim its delay in reporting the pollution.
As sole water supplier for urban Lanzhou, Veolia had a duty to supply safe water but it let the toxic water flow despite being aware of the contamination, one of the residents said yesterday.
Another said: "I suffered from severe anxiety and fear after I knew about the pollution."
The lawsuit is asking for an apology published in a newspaper or on television and compensation of 5,972 yuan (US$961.49) for mental distress and financial losses, Caixin.com reported.
The residents said the Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court had received the documents but hadn't yet decided whether to accept the case.
Local residents have been complaining about the location of Veolia for some years. The plant is bordered by the Lanzhou Petrochemical Company and the Lanzhou Chemical Fertilizer Plant, Caixin reported. The Lanzhou Aluminum Plant, which had also been in the area, closed some time ago.
There had been several oil leaks from the pipeline in the 1980s. But instead of being replaced it had been repaired and was still in use, Yao Xin, Veolia's president, said previously.
Court rejects lawsuit against supplier of contaminated water
A court rejected a lawsuit against Lanzhou's sole water supplier for delaying reports about severe water pollution.
The Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court in Gansu Province said yesterday that the five residents who filed the lawsuit were not qualified to sue in cases involving harm to the public's interest. Only institutions and organizations have that right, the court said.
The five residents said the Sino-French joint venture, Veolia, had a duty to supply safe water. They also said Veolia let the toxic water flow despite being aware of the contamination. It didn't take any measures until 18 hours later, according to their lawsuit.
The residents demanded an apology be published in a newspaper or on television and compensation of 5,972 yuan (US$961.49) for mental distress and financial losses, Caixin.com reported.
Levels of benzene, a cancer-inducing chemical, in the city's tap water rose 20 times above national safety levels on Friday, forcing the city to turn off supplies and warn residents not to use it for the next 24 hours.
The Lanzhou government said tests on Friday had found 200 micrograms of benzene per liter of water. The national safe standard is 10 micrograms.
Benzene is known to damage human blood cell production.
By yesterday morning, the city's water had been declared safe after tests showed benzene levels met national standards.
China set to elevate environment protection in new law
China is set to pass a new law that would give the government more powers to shut polluting factories and punish officials, and even place protected regions off-limits to industrial development, scholars with knowledge of the situation said.
Long-awaited amendments to China's 1989 Environmental Protection Law are expected to be finalized later this year, giving the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) greater authority to take on polluters.
While some details of the fourth draft are still under discussion, it has been agreed that the principle of prioritizing the environment above the economy will be enshrined in law, according to scholars who have been involved in the process. The fourth draft is due to be completed within weeks.
"(Upholding) environmental protection as the fundamental principle is a huge change, and emphasizes that the environment is a priority," said Cao Mingde, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, who was involved in the drafting process.
The first change to the legislation in 25 years will give legal backing to Beijing's newly declared war on pollution and formalize a pledge made last year to abandon a decades-old growth-at-all-costs economic model that has spoiled much of China's water, skies and soil.
Cao cautioned that some of the details of the measures could be removed as a result of bureaucratic horsetrading. The MEP has called for the law to spell out how new powers can be implemented in practice, but the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planning agency, prefers broader, more flexible principles.
"There is a usual practice when everyone is unable to come to a complete agreement - we first put an idea into the law and then draw up detailed administrative rules later," Cao said.
Local authorities' dependence on the taxes and employment provided by polluting industries is reflected by the priorities set out in China's growth-focused legal code, said Wang Canfa, an environment law professor who runs the Center for Pollution Victims in China and also took part in the drafting stage.
The environment ministry did not respond to detailed questions on its role in the drafting process and the specific content of the new amendments, but said the legislation was currently in the hands of the Legal Work Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature.
The protracted legal process usually kicks off with a number of drafts from academic institutions, which are then examined by ministries, local governments and industry groups. A new draft then goes to the legal affairs office of the State Council, China's cabinet, before being delivered to the NPC and opened up to members of the public to have their say.
Environmental challenge tests government credibility: Global Times
As the Chinese public has become highly alert about environmental issues, they cannot bear any tricks the government plays when it releases environment-related information. If the government says it has already settled the issue, it will still meet a public backlash.
Faced with constant pollution issues, the government may have to readjust its attitude when approaching the public and restore the public's trust.
First of all, local governments should have a practical understanding of their environmental problems. China has paid a high environmental cost for its development. Both the government and the public have an obligation to solve this problem.
Meanwhile, the public knows that to tackle environmental issues and make air quality and food safety reach the world's most advanced levels cannot be realized overnight. It is natural that people complain and the government is an easy target.
China faces numerous challenges as it aims to further develop its heavy chemical industries. The public is worried about environment quality and does not believe the government anymore. But most people understand that China cannot stop its development and hopes to find a means that guarantees both safety and development.
The public demands the government shows a trustworthy attitude. The importance the government attaches to severe environmental matters and the actions the government takes are the best way to secure the interests of the public. However, the statements of some officials make people believe they just want to shirk their responsibilities.
The environmental issues cannot be solved soon, but the estrangement between the public and officials can be eliminated or improved. This requires reform by the government to establish harsh and reasonable systems to hold people accountable. Those who deliberately hide information should be severely punished because they not only fail to undertake due responsibilities but also damage government credibility.
We should be able to see that both the government and society have proceeded in dealing with pollution issues. Meanwhile, we request further improvement. As long as we can face up to these issues, China can hope to address and solve the pollution impasse.
