Plant that poisoned hundreds of children closed
The authorities are quick to close the Shaanxi factory, after news was spread. But nobody explains why families in the area have not been transferred, as was expected. Ill at risk of irreversible damage to muscles, nerves, brain.
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After protests, the authorities have closed the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co factory, in the Changqing industrial complex (Shaanxi), which has caused harmful levels of lead - four times over the limit - in the blood of over 300 children, while another thousand are awaiting the outcome of analysis.
The news was reported by the official state news agency Xinhua, that published residents complaints and reported that the closure order was given over two days ago, yet, more than two weeks after the first reports of lead poisoning.
Sun Yagang, whose 2 year old son is among the sick, explained to Xinhua that "we live only 200 meters from the factory. Lead pollution is a certain”.
The plant uses lead, zinc and coal, all big pollutants. For this reason, the municipal authorities had planned to transfer all the inhabitants of the area, when in 2006 the company opened. But then only 156 of 581 residents near the plant have been transferred. The others have remained, although the air is acrid and water had a bitter taste, because they could not afford another house.
An excess of lead in the body can cause anaemia, weakening of the muscular system, damage to the nervous system and the brain. It is an even more dangerous form of poisoning because the effects are gradual and progressive, but difficult to remedy.
The news has sparked particular anger and stirred emotions in the country, where the one-child policy makes parents even more attentive to the needs of children. There is widespread resentment towards the authorities, given that for months there have been a series of scandals for serious harm caused to children by unscrupulous entrepreneurs, encouraged by the widespread corruption of officials responsible for monitoring. Also because the citizen has little recourse to protection, and often their protest triggers en masse demonstrations.
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