Industry In China

Numerous chemical plants located along the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are not being operated safely, according to the new minister of China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Zhou Shengxian.

"The main problems are, firstly, the inappropriate location of the plants; secondly, their failure to follow environmental guidelines; and thirdly, that more than 100 of these plants pose an environmental risk," Zhou told journalists at a press conference in Beijing.

An accident at a chemical plant along a major river could have "unimaginable" consequences, Zhou warned. The agency has already ordered the most hazardous plants to shape up.

SEPA conducted a nationwide survey of chemical plants after an accident in November at a PetroChina facility forced the Chinese city of Harbin to cut off its water supply for four days, Zhou said. The survey found that 21,000 chemical plants, representing half the country's total, are located along the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, where more than 500 million people also live.

Zhou, former head of the State Forestry Administration, was appointed to SEPA in December when the previous director, Xie Zhenhua, was forced out after the Harbin disaster. The government is deciding whether to hold senior PetroChina officials accountable for the accident, Zhou said.

Benzene levels in the Songhua River, which was contaminated by the November accident, have gone back to normal, according to Zhou. He added that the long-term impact on the river is still being evaluated.