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MEP Made Public the Investigation and Sanction on Blood Lead Pollution Incident in Deqing County of Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province
2011-05-18
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MEP spokesman Tao Detian told media today that blood lead concentration exceeding health standard has been found in employers and villagers in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province since March, which threatens public health and causes bad influence on the society. Ministry of Environmental Protection decided to stop approval of any environmental impact assessment document of construction project in Huzhou City, take strong measures to further strengthen the efforts in prevention and control of pollution of industries involving heavy metals such as lead-acid batteries, ensure public environmental rights and interests and protect public health.
Mr. Tao Detian said, in view of the recent incidence of blood lead pollution in Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province, Ministry of Environmental Protection sent an investigation group yesterday. The group carried out investigation on blood lead pollution incidence in Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province with the support of relevant department of. It has basically identified the cause of the event. Established in May of 2003, Haijiu Battery Limited Company (hereinafter referred to as "Haijiu Company") in Zhejiang Province is located in Xinshi Industry Park of Deqing County. It mainly manufactures and sells small Lead-acid batteries used for motorbikes. With annual capacity of 10.50 million batteries, it has annual output of about 9 million with 450 million yuan of output and 1000 employers. Physical examination of employers of Haijiu Company and villagers living near the company has found their blood lead (PbB) concentrations exceeding health standard one after another since March of 2011. Deqing County Government began organizing the test of blood lead concentration of villagers living in vicinity of the company on May 2. Haijiu Company also arranged occupational physical examination of its employers. A total of 2152 people including both employers and villagers were tested on their blood lead level (1231 employers and their relatives as well as 921 villagers). Among them, 332 had their blood lead concentration exceeding the standard; 327 of them were employers and their relatives and 5 were villagers. Among the 327 victims, 233 were adult (232 were employers and one villager), 99 were children (95 were children of employers and 4 were children of villagers). At present, a total of 53 people were subject to hospitalization (26 of them were adult and 27 children) with stable conditions. Environmental monitoring found that lead concentrations in the soil, water and crops in vicinity of Haijiu Company meet national standard. Haijiu Company ceased its operation for corrections on April 29, 2011. Up to May 13, the major lead related equipment in the plant has been dismantled. Public security institution has carried out criminal detention of the legal representative of Haijiu Company according to law. Relevant departments of Huzhou City have decided to investigate the responsibility of 8 relevant officials in charge from county government, environmental protection bureau, health bureau and Xinshi Town of Deqing County.
Mr. Tao Detian pointed out, the investigation finds that this incidence is due to production in violation of relevant laws, poor protection measures for workers, failure of county and town governments to honor their commitment of relocating the residents who live too close to the company and poor supervision and response of local government and relevant departments. The specific circumstances are the followings:
1. Protection measures in workshop are not in place with poor work on prevention and control of occupational disease. Many ventilation pipes in the welding work site of the assembling workshop of Haijiu Company have crack or holes, leading to low ventilation efficiency and fugitive emission of lead dust. Current data shows that among 332 victims with blood lead concentration exceeding health standard, 327 are employers and their relatives. Health department of Deqing County used to test and evaluate the occupational hazard factors of the enterprise several times and found that lead concentration in dust and smoke of the workshop of Haijiu Company exceeds the standard. But it failed to urge the enterprise to make corrections. In early March, when spontaneous physical examination indicated that PbB concentrations of some employers and nearby villagers exceed health standard, it still did not attract high attention of health department of Deqing County.
2. Production of Haijiu Company in violation of relevant laws & regulations and poor supervision by relevant departments. Haijiu Company has outdated production and pollution treatment facilities. Its production and discharge of pollutant are against relevant laws and regulations. Failing to adapt to new development, local government and relevant departments such as environmental protection and health have not include the heavy-metal polluting enterprises including lead storage battery with relatively big environmental risk in their major supervision subjects in their routine administration. They failed to find environmental infringements of the enterprise in time.
3. In order to facilitating Haijiu Company to smoothly pass environmental impact assessment, check & acceptance and public list examination, Xinshi Town Government and Deqing County Government have offered commitments to relevant supervision department several times on resettlement without prior soliciting public agreement, and they do not honor their commitment. 
4. Slow and poor response of local governments. In early March, spontaneous physical examination of employers and villages in vicinity of Haijiu Company found blood lead concentration exceeding health standard, but Xinshi Town Government and Deqing County Government did not pay high attention to this. Later, some employers and people gathered at the gate of the enterprise to seek a solution. Still, it did not attract enough attention of the governments of Xinshi Town and Deqing County. Local governments did not take countermeasures to deal with the event until it was reported by news media, MEP released supervision notice and 200 people blocked road and assaulted the plant.
Tao Detian said, in view of the blood lead incidence in Deqing County, Ministry of Environmental Protection decided to reject any environmental impact assessment document of construction project in Huzhou City and cancel the qualification of Deqing County on ecological demonstration site. Meanwhile, it ordered Zhejiang Province to investigate and prosecute the responsibility of main leader of local government and legal responsibility of relevant people in charge of the enterprise according to law as soon as possible.
In view of relatively high incidence of lead pollution in lead battery industry and lead recycling industry, Ministry of Environmental Protection issued the Circular on Strengthening Prevention and Control of Pollution of Lead Battery and Recycling Lead Industry today. With strict environment access, it specifies health protection distance. It standardizes routine environmental management of enterprises to ensure that the emission of pollutants meets national standard. It improved basic work and requires strict environmental supervision on enterprises. It beefs up law enforcement efforts and takes strict measures to sanction the enterprises with environmental infringements. With measures such as information disclosure and receiving public supervision, we will further strengthen prevention and control of pollution of heavy metal related industries including lead-acid battery industry. Meanwhile, we will carry out life-long accountability system for heavy metals pollution. In areas with major lead pollution accidents and massive events triggered by lead pollution, Ministry of Environmental Protection will stop the approval of environmental impact statement of construction project in the prefecture or city with the pollution accident. It will order the enterprise causing environmental pollution to stop production immediately and cease emissions. In case of massive health damage or extremely heavy environmental pollution accident due to heavy metals pollution, environmental protection department will investigate and prosecute according to law the criminal responsibility of the people in charge of the enterprise causing environmental hazard and relevant people in charge. In the future, in case of any heavy metal pollution accident, the main leader of local government of the area must shoulder main responsibility.
Mr. Tao Detian stressed that if extremely heavy lead pollution accident or massive events triggered by lead pollution happens in a National Model City on Environmental Protection or Demonstration Site on Ecological Development, its title of National Model City on Environmental Protection or Demonstration Site on Ecological Development will be canceled immediately. Ministry of Environmental Protection will no longer accept its application for the title within three years.
It is reported that in view of recent consecutive PbB pollution events in Taizhou City and Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province, Ministry of Environmental Protection arranged special talk with main leaders of Zhejiang Environmental Protection Bureau, Taizhou City and Huzhou City. The main leaders of local governments and environmental protection departments said, it is a big lesson to have this kind of pollution accident within their jurisdiction, they felt deep regret. In the future, they will firmly take strong measures to prevent reoccurrence of similar incidence according to the requirement of Ministry of Environmental Protection.