China pulls 220,000 pounds of dead fish from a polluted river
A disturbing 220,000 lbs of dead fish have choked China’s Fuhe River in Hubei province. This latest mass death comes after other incidents of dead animals, including pigs and ducks, rotting in Chinese waterways. Residents are understandably worried about the causes of death, as well as the safety of the drinking water.
Local authorities assure the public that contrary to visual evidence, everything’s JUST FINE, and to drink up.
CTV News reports:
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China finds 100,000 kg of dead fish in polluted river
From: CTV News
Chinese authorities have scooped up around 100,000 kilograms [220000 lbs) of dead fish they say were poisoned by ammonia from a chemical plant, environmental officials and state media said Wednesday, in a reminder of the pollution plaguing the country.
The Hubei province environmental protection department, notified of the piles of dead fish in central China’s Fuhe River on Monday, pointed the finger at local company Hubei Shuanghuan Science and Technology Stock Co. Officials said sampling of its drain outlet showed that ammonia density far exceeded the national standard. The company said it wasn’t going to immediately comment.
Inadequate controls on industry and lax enforcement of existing standards have worsened China’s pollution problem, stemming from three decades of breakneck economic growth. High-profile incidents this year involving dead animals in rivers -- not only deaths attributed to pollution but also carcasses dumped by farmers after die-offs at farms -- have added to public disgust and suspicions about the safety of drinking water.
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The environmental department warned the public not to eat the dead fish, but said drinking water was not affected. It said it ordered the company to suspend operations and fix the pollution problem.
Read the full article at: ctvnews.ca
