An oil spill in the Songhua Riverhas been brought under control
and will not threaten drinking water in Harbin, capital of
northeast China's
Heilongjiang Province, state authorities said Saturday.
A visible greasy slick in the river near the Songhuajiang Bridge
was discovered Friday afternoon, the State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA) said in a press release.
The administration sent out a working team to the spot for
pollution control after it received report of oil leak early
Saturday morning.
The provincial government took immediate measures such as using
activated carbon to absorb the pollutants and building a blocking
belt in the downstream to protect the water in the river and
surrounding ecological environment, the administration said.
By 4 p.m. Saturday, the oil substance had been completely
decomposed in the downstream area and the water quality
recovered.
Primary investigation showed that the oil leak could have been
caused by the diesel oil discharged from passing ships, the SEPA
said.
Three suspected ships are now under detention for
investigation.
Environmental departments would keep monitoring the Songhua
River to make sure it is not polluted, the SEPA said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2006)