Russia: Chinese Toxic Spil Threatens Amur

Khabarovsk, Russia Dec 30 (Prensa Latina) The Chinese benzene spill has passed Khabarovsk 230-240 kilometers downstream the Amur River and it is expected to reach Amursk city on January 1, Far Eastern weather service said Friday.

The toxic spill is moving at a speed of 30 kilometers a day and the benzene concentration does not exceed 0.12 of the maximum allowable norm.

Hydrologists reported to the regional emergency commission that no major increase in pollution concentration is expected while the spill passes Amursk and goes further down to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which it is likely to reach on January 4.

However, all emergency services are on alert in the cities and local water purification facilities are ready to cope with the pollution.

Russia and China are jointly working to fight the ecological disaster caused by a November 13 blast at the Jilin Petrochemical Company that sent tons of benzene and nitrobenzene into the Songhua River.

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