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"The following information is compiled from media reports as indicated in the references below. The contents of this page do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, nor are they an official record." Chinese River Contamination resulting from a
petrochemical explosion and toxic spill
On 13 November an explosion took place at Jilin Chemical Industrial Co. plant (a PetroChina benzene factory) at Jilin, a city about 380 kilometers up river from Harbin. The explosion led to an outpouring of around 100 tonnes of chemicals including mainly benzene, into the river Songhua. The Songhua river runs into the Amur river and then into Russia. The Songhua river is Harbin's main water source. On Thursday, 23 November, around 10 days after the explosion, an 80-km contaminated stretch of water reached Harbin and was expected to take 40 hours to pass, leaving around 3,5 million people temporarily without access to water. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province in northeastern of China. Authorities were reportedly increasing water flows to dilute pollutants and providing bottled water for the population in Harbin.
The provincial government had warned Harbin residents to stay away from the river to avoid possible exposure to airborne contaminants coming off the water. China's State Environmental Protection Administration
said on 23rd November that the Songhua River had suffered "major
water pollution" after the 13th November explosion at the plant
upstream. According to Chinadaily website and to officials from the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), a blockage in a chemical plant's processing nitration tower of the benzene production and a worker's attempt to clear it caused the explosions. To date, five persons were confirmed dead, and one is missing. Nearly 70 people were wounded. More than 10,000 residents were evacuated as a precaution against more explosions and severe pollution from the plant. The evacuees were residents of two communities, and students in the northern section of Beihua University and Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology. The blasts shattered windowpanes of buildings 100 to 200 metres away from the plant. It took nearly 300 firefighters to bring the blaze under control The Jilin Petrochemical Company of CNPC is China's
first large scale chemical industry base as well as the largest
national aniline base. Under the request of the Chinese State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), a four-person UNEP team visited China on a field mission from 10 to 16 December 2005 in order to to visit affected sites on the Songhua River and to meet and discuss the incident with local and national Chinese officials. A number of forward looking recommendations have resulted from this field mission to China following the chemical spill incident in the Songhua River. Endorsed by both UNEP and the Chinese government, the report notes that lessons learnt from the incident should be incorporated into policy, legislation and enforcement. China and UNEP have agreed to share this report with the relevant Russian authorities. Looking to the future, the report suggests that the Chinese authorities might wish to consider implementing a programme such as UNEP's own Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL). Please click
here
for the full report (PDF - 651 KB). Please
click here for the press release. Benzene, also known as C6H6, PhH, and benzol, is an organic chemical compound which is a colorless and flammable liquid with a pleasant, sweet smell. Benzene is a known carcinogen. Chronic exposure leads to progressive degeneration of bone marrow and leukaemia. It is a component of gasoline. It is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of drugs, plastics, gasoline, synthetic rubber, and dyes. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, but it is usually synthesized from other compounds present in petroleum. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon. Benzene slightly dissolves in water. For emergency information on benzene, please
click
here
(PDF - 2,9 MB) and refer to guide number 130 of the Emergency
Response Guidebook (2004) of the US Department of Transportation. China State Environmental Protection Administration The
Joint UNEP/OCHA Unit OCHA Situation reports give more detailed information on the accident. Situation Report number 1 (PDF - 24 KB) Search in the Disasters Database One of the options to reduce impacts of disasters, after preventive approaches are adopted, is to have effective preparedness in place. What normally is needed is not only to prepare emergency response plans but to prepare them through a multi-stakeholder group gathering people from all the different "responsible" parties. This group should include industry representatives, local government representatives, community representatives, rescue services representatives, hospital representatives, local environment and planning agencies representatives, etc. The major responsability of this group is to develop an integrated emergency response plan where coordinated action on how to respond to potential accidents should be outlined. This plan will be the basis for coordination and response if an accident that was identified as a potential scenario actually happens. The plan should then be tested and drilled, so that the potential involved communities, including local authorities are trained on what to do when an accident happens. Public awareness raising campaigns should also be promoted, so that the local community is informed of what can potentially happen and how to react. If such a plan is in place, and an accident happens, then it is expected that there will be a coordinated, quick and efficient response, the community will know when and how to react, infrastructure will be available, many lives could be saved and the environment protected. This is what APELL is about, to increase community awareness and to prepare co-ordinated emergency response plans involving industry, government, and the local community, in the event that unexpected events should endanger life, property or the environment. |
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