China closes down all polluting factories on Taihu lake - AFP

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

China closes down all polluting factories on Taihu lake

2 hours, 20 minutes ago

BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese authorities have ordered all polluting
industries around the country's third largest freshwater lake to
close down after a crisis in which the drinking water of millions
was contaminated, a leading official said Tuesday.

More than two million people in Wuxi city in the eastern province
of Jiangsu were left without tap water to drink or wash in last
week due to an algae bloom choking Taihu lake, once renowned
for its scenic beauty.

"We are strengthening our supervision and inspecting every
enterprise that is discharging nitrogen and phosphorus," vice
environment minister Zhang Lijun told journalists.

-snip-

According to Wuxi vice mayor Liu Hongzhi, 502 factories in the
area will need to be relicensed to discharge waste, while
monitoring will be stepped up on 22 key polluting industries,
Xinhua news agency said.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070605/sc_afp/chinaenvironmentpollutionwater_070605071052