China's top environmental regulator was fired on Friday after widespread criticism of the government's initial cover-up of a chemical spill into the Songhua River that forced the shutdown of the water supply in Harbin.
The removal of Xie Zhenhua (
After an explosion on Nov. 13 at a petrochemical plant in Jilin City, officials tried to hide the fact that tons of benzene and nitrobenzene had been dumped into the river.
"After this major water pollution incident occurred, the SEPA has failed to pay sufficient attention to the incident and has underestimated its possible serious impact," according to a joint statement issued by the state council and the Chinee Communist Party's Central Committee, and quoted by the official New China News Agency.
"It should bear due responsibility for the losses caused by this incident."
Xie, who offered his resignation, is the highest-ranking official ever removed from his position for an environmental accident.
State media emphasized that his firing reflected rising governmental concerns about environmental degradation and the need to improve official accountability.
But the question is whether other officials will be fired, including those at the factory, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.
In addition, officials in Jilin Province initially lied about the chemical spill and the dangers it presented to cities and rural communities downstream on the Songhua.
The government's joint circular ordered that an investigation continue into the causes of the explosion and the spill, and vowed to "seriously punish those responsible."
new head
Xie's replacement is Zhou Shengxian (
Meanwhile, Jiamusi city shut down its No. 7 Water Plant on the Songhua River on Friday, fearing contamination from approaching toxic chemicals, a city official said yesterday.
The benzene is expected to reach Jiamusi, a city of about 480,000 people, on Tuesday, according to the government.
The Xinhua news agency said the plant supplies 70-80 percent of the city's drinking water.
Jiamusi is the second-biggest Chinese city to have been affected by the spill.
Jiamusi also has access to deep wells that won't be affected by the contamination and so should be able to continue to supply drinking water, said a woman who answered the phone at its water company. She wouldn't give her name.
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