Forty kilometers of the seashore northwest of
Haikou, the capital of China's southernmost province of Hainan,
has been polluted by oil, reported local fishermen on Tuesday.
Provincial and city maritime bureaus are investigating, but the
source is still unclear.
According to the Nanguo Metropolis News, it
may have collected and been carried on waves from far out at sea
before being washed ashore.
The newspaper also reported sources from the city
maritime bureau as saying that no new oil patches have been
observed in the sea.
The cleanup is underway, and the collected
pollutant will be disposed of by environmental protection
departments.
?
It may have come from moving vessels, since docks
and oil depots have not been found to have any leaks. Maritime
departments are checking entry-exit shipping records and seeking
assistance from the neighboring province of Guangdong in efforts to
identify the source.
The city environmental protection bureau is closely
monitoring the quality of seawater, and at the same time looking
for any possible sources of the pollution on land.
The oil has clearly affected the immediate coastal
and offshore environment, but consequences for life further inland
and at sea need further investigation, said a bureau official.
(China.org.cn December 31, 2004)
