China's Songhua River Hit By 130 Chemical Spills In Last 11 Months

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BEIJING - Songhua River, the site of a massive chemical spill last year that halted water supplies to tens of millions of people, has been hit by more than 130 water pollution accidents in the past 11 months, the Xinhua News Agency said Monday.

Every few days, a chemical accident pollutes the Songhua, Pan Yue, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, was quoted as saying by Xinhua. Pan blamed "irrational distribution of industrial enterprises" for the frequent accidents, the report said. No additional details were given about the scale or types of accidents.

Chinese leaders say the country faces a critical water shortage, in part because of chronic pollution and chemical accidents. Most of China's canals, rivers and lakes are severely tainted by agricultural and household pollution.

Last month, China said it will spend 1 trillion yuan (US$125 billion; euro100 billion) to improve water treatment and recycling by 2010 to fight the mounting threat of urban water pollution.

EDIT

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-09/11/content_685815.htm